Sunday WW1 Remembered..

Little Known Fact

Did you know that modern blood transfusions and blood banks were pioneered during the First World War?

 Oswald Hope Robertson 1886-1966

Oswald Hope Robertson was a British born medical scientist who pioneered the use of blood banks during the First World War. He emigrated, aged eighteen months, with his parents to California where they settled in San Joaquin Valley. Roberston went on to study medicine at the University of California and also at Harvard but had to cut short his studies during WW1 when he was called to join a medical team. In 1917, whilst at the Western Front, he is credited with the invention of the first blood bank.

Due to the excessive need for blood replacement the British army began to use donated blood directly from one person to another but this was unpredictable and not without danger as even though blood grouping had been understood since the early part of the twentieth century, there were still problems with compatibility and blood coagulation.

Between 1914-1915 the use of sodium citrate as a blood coagulant  was introduced which allowed the blood to be stored for several days and so the need for donor to recipient donation was no longer necessary. Citrated blood could now be stored, on ice, for up to 28 days. It was the arrival of the US physicians in 1917, amongst them, Robertson, who took the idea of blood preservation much further. Robertson was sent to the British Third Army Clearing Station to consult with the British on improving the blood donation service and plans were drawn up for the first official Blood Bank where Robertson used only those blood donors with blood group O as this is compatible with all other blood types.

This was a major advancement in the treatment of catastrophic blood loss and the lessons learned during wartime went on to provide advanced blood donation in the years following the war.

Close to Home...Jo Hollywood

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors.

Please welcome Lancashire Author

Jo Hollywood

Hi Jo, A warm welcome to Jaffareadstoo. Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

I am a married mother of two young boys and in a former life worked as a renal nurse. Prior to starting my nursing career I had studied an English Literature and Drama (BA Hons) degree, I just love to write and read stories. When my youngest son was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3, I found that I began to write again., I began by writing a self help book for parents, then a weekly newspaper column and occasionally blogging for the Huffington Post. However, this new found thirst for writing prompted me into wanting to write fiction, and primarily romantic fiction, something that was just for me, and so I joined Wattpad and began to write An Unextraordinary Life. My very first novel.


As a writer based in the North West, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting your books and if so, how do you overcome them?

To be honest I am very new to this world and as yet have had only had to promote one book, so I have not encountered any problems other than bang an indie author. I do know though that it can be more difficult for Northern authors with a strong Northern theme in their work to get their books out there and read. Why this is so still baffles me.

If you were pitching the North West as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it and what makes it so special?

I love living in the North West. We did live in the South West for five years in beautiful Dorset, and although I loved the area and the people I did miss the North West. I grew up in the Wirral and today live in Lancashire. So how would I sell the North West as a place to live, work and write? Well, for starters the people are very friendly and outgoing. You can always have a conversation with someone in a café or while stood waiting for the bus. There is always someone to talk to, so you are never short of ideas for your characters. The area also has some stunning scenery to help the creative juices. I live just down the road from Morecambe and there is nothing quite like strolling along the prom to think through plot lines. I just love the North West, it is comforting and feels like home.

In your writing, have you been inspired by anything in particular, ie a place or a person?

Lots of people and places have inspired me with my writing. When writing the library scenes in my latest novel I pictured Lancaster Central Library in my mind, I could hear the voices all around me as well as the smell of books. In An Unextraordinary Life, the bookshop café was very much based upon a local café in town. I think that as writers we draw inspiration form every day things that happen around us, what we are comfortable with. As for people, they are usually a mixture of different people that are known to me, all rolled up into one.

How did you break into the publishing world?

Well I am still a very new author and I decided to self publish my first novel. I am however writing my second novel which I hope to find a publisher for. If not, then I will self publish again. I think the main thing is to just get your work out there and read, in whatever format you can manage.

What are the up and downs to being an author?

The ups are most definitely writing every day. I love to write and for me it is a form of therapy. I escape the every day world. I also need to read every day. Other benefits are that you get to see your words on the printed page and in digital format. Others get to read those words and can hopefully gain enjoyment from them. The downside is that it takes a lot of work and effort to produce a novel, and sometimes it can seem like an uphill battle. Negative reviews also hurt, but then not everyone will like your book. It's just the way it is.

How can readers find out more about you and your work?

Readers can read about me on my website 

They can also find An Unextraordinary Life over on Amazon

I also write book reviews over on my website

Huge thanks to Jo for taking the time to share her thoughts about the North West and for answering my questions so thoughtfully

I hope that you have enjoyed reading today's Close to Home feature.

Coming next Saturday : Deborah Swift

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The author in my spotlight is ...G K Holloway

 On the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings

 I am delighted to introduce the historical fiction writer 

G K Holloway 

Hi, Glynn, a warm welcome to Jaffareadstoo...


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

I live in Bristol with my wife and two grown up children. I divide my time between working in the family business and writing novels. I’ve always wanted to write but for a long while I could never find the time. Now, thanks to modern technology, a supportive wife and enough slack in my week to write, I’m able to work on the things that interest me most, and I’m fortunate enough to know how lucky I am.   

Quite a few years ago, my wife Alice, bought me The Last Anglo Saxon King by Ian Walker as a Christmas present.  Up until then, I’m ashamed to admit, I didn’t know much more about the Norman invasion than most other people. However, I found the whole period and its characters fascinating; I just read more and more about Anglo Saxons, Vikings and Normans until eventually I thought the world ought to know what a fabulous story lies behind the famous date. That’s when I got started.

Have you always had an interest in history and what makes 1066 such a special year to write a novel about?

I’ve always loved history, literature and films. I think that at heart, I just love a good story. There are a lot of them around but I never thought I’d write one, however, I found the history of 1066 so compelling I just had to write my version. The period is full of schemers, at home and abroad, positioning themselves for a power grab and some of these characters are not at all fussy about what methods they use to get their way. At the centre of all this is a decent man upon whom the future of the kingdom hangs. He is an able politician and a fine general but there are just too many conspirators and too much skulduggery even for him to handle. Add to this mix is fate seemingly conspiring against him, even during the Battle of Hastings, which was so closely fought, that at any time some small event could have changed the outcome. If only it had rained history might have taken a different course and you can’t help but think about what could have been.

Some battles are fought between factions who are really quite similar to each other and who wins and who loses is, to most us, immaterial. Other battles have results that echo down through the centuries; Hastings is one of them, it was a pivotal moment, so it’s not just a case of what if but what could have been. When you think about England’s history and the part the country has played globally, the world might even be a different place today had Harold been victorious. So, when I thought about that I couldn’t understand why no one had made a major film or TV series about it and after all, 1066 is a real Game of Thrones and that series is immensely popular. I thought everyone would find the story of the fall of Anglo Saxon England engaging. At that time, I couldn’t find any films or books, other than text books, about the events that led up to Hastings, so, I decided to write one myself. 

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

I’m don’t see myself as either of the above. I’m more of an onion peeler. Let me explain.

The story of 1066 comes with a ready-made plot, or at least, most of one. The Bayeux Tapestry gives us great insight into many key events, although some obvious ones, the Battles of Fulford and Stamford Bridge, are omitted.  There are other sources too, the Anglo Saxon Chronicle and the Sagas. It’s surprising how much information there is available on such a distant time period. 

Peeling back the layers to discover how a victory was won, what were the motives and methods of the protagonists, asking questions, for example, how Edith felt when Edward vowed not to produce an heir, thus dooming her to a childless marriage? Why did William think he had a right to the English crown? It’s a question of peeling back and peeling back until you feel you can’t peel back any further. I think in doing that the characters come to life, seem less distant, more real.

You’re writing is very atmospheric, how do you ‘set the scene’ in your novels and how much historical research did you do in order to bring 1066 What Fates Impose to life?

Troubador

I found myself researching all sorts of nooks and crannies of history. Ship building techniques, 11th century church organs, water mills, herbal remedies, pagan marriage ceremonies, horse breeds, weaponry, even Anglo Saxon recipes.  I’ve also visited places like Stamford Bridge, Battle Abbey, Bayeux, Bosham and more. So, I’ll have researched a scene before I write about it. I’ll write the outline and then put in the details. I try hard to envisage the scene and whenever possible I’ll play some appropriate music to help fire my imagination. Whether it be a candle lit assassination or a full blown battle and I like to add to it experience of my own.  I used to do a lot of horse riding so I was able to use some my own experiences in my novel. Being a natural day dreamer helps when creating scenes.

Whilst you are writing, you must live with your characters. How did you feel about them when the book was finished? Did they turn out as expected and do you have a favourite character.

Live with my characters? You need to have a word with my family, they think I live in 1066. How did I feel about them, my creations, once I’d finished the book? Most of the characters really existed and whether I liked them or not, I tried to see things from their point of view, to stay as true to them as I could. Some grew out of the research others out of my imagination. Most were a combination of the two.

The character I like the most is Harold; I think he had the touch of the ‘everyman’ about him. He became king almost by accident. He was on track to become an earl and remain that way. Then we have a series of events, Edward the Confessor refusing to produce an earl, Edward the Exile dying and Edgar the Atheling was too young when it became time for him to take the throne. There is little to be found about Harold, other than he was tall, strong, handsome, courageous, loved hawking, dallied and was too liberal. He ‘made some good laws’ but we don’t know what they were. There is more information to be had on William, mainly, I suppose, because he was the victor. My descriptions of him are accurate and most of the things he did in my novel are recounted in various histories. The other characters, I based on their actions and some I admired, even the Normans and others. This is one character I don’t particularly care for, Ralph Pomeroy, I absolutely loathe him. He started life as an extremely minor character. I wanted to let the reader know, if they didn’t already, that the Normans weren’t just expanding into England but around Europe too. So I had a freelance Norman soldier in Scilly, answer William’s call. That was all he was going to do. As the pages past by he started coming to life – a real Frankenstein’s monster – and he acts as a conduit for everything that’s worst about the Normans. He is making an appearance in the sequel, something else I never envisaged. I have quite an adventure planned for him.  

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

On one level, I hope readers simply enjoy a good story, beyond that I hope they learn something, feel that history has been brought back to life, and that they’ve been transported to the heart of the action, have an insight into Anglo Saxon England and see it in a new light for what it was, not some Dark Age backwater but a dynamic, wealthy, creative proto democracy – albeit imperfect – and I hope some of my passion for the era rubs off and they want to learn more. Just as long as they don’t use it as a cure for insomnia I think I’ll be happy.

And finally, if your novel were being made into a move, who would you cast on the lead roles?

Harold – Travis Fimmel Duke

William – Samuel Roukin

Edyth - Emilia Clarke Duchess 

Matilda - Jenna Coleman

Aldytha – Katie McGrath 

William Malet – Nicholas Hoult

Lady Gytha – Sofie Grabol 

Cardinal Hildebrand – Toby Jones

Godwin – Charles Dance 

Abbot Lanfranc – Mark Rylance

Tostig – George Blagden

Earl Leofric – David Bradley

Robert de Jumieges – Alfie Allen

Lady Godiva – Rachel Weisz

King Edward – Linus Roache

Queen Edith – Zoe Boyle

So, there you have some of my ideal cast; I told you I was a daydreamer. If they were to accept their various roles and you can afford to pay their fees and at a time when none of them have other commitments, you will probably have performed a miracle. 

My review of 1066 What Fates Impose can be found by clicking here

Website click here 

Twitter @GlynnHolloway

Huge thanks to Glynn for being my author in the spotlight today and for sharing his thoughts about the writing of 1066 What Fates Impose so eloquently.

Thanks to the author's generosity you can win a signed copy of 1066: What Fates Impose in this ( UK only ) giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Good Luck **

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Review ~ 1066 What Fates Impose by G K Holloway

Troubadour

A bit of blurb..

England is in crisis. King Edward has no heir and promises never to produce one. There are no obvious successors available to replace him, but quite a few claimants are eager to take the crown. While power struggles break out between the various factions at court, enemies abroad plot to make England their own. There are raids across the borders with Wales and Scotland. Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, is seen by many as the one man who can bring stability to the kingdom. He has powerful friends and two women who love him, but he has enemies who will stop at nothing to gain power. As 1066 begins, England heads for an uncertain future. It seems even the heavens are against Harold. Intelligent and courageous, can Harold forge his own destiny - or does he have to bow to what fates impose

My thoughts about the book..

On this 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hasting, there can be few people who don't recognise the year date of the battle - 1066, but, perhaps, there are less people who know that it took place on the 14th October, or of the finer details behind the lead up to the battle and indeed, of what made the usurper, William, Duke of Normandy into the Conqueror we think we know today. In 1066 What Fates Impose, the author GK Holloway goes a long way into fleshing out the personality of those characters who played a major role in the years leading up to 1066, whilst at the same time highlighting  the political ramifications of that most significant of years.

The novel starts with an ending and King William I's death in 1087, sweat soaked and putrid with fever, the man we know as the conqueror takes stock of his life, a life which has been made ever more complicated in the pursuit of power and glory and of the inevitable haunting which, in his final few hours, racks his fevered mind.

What then follows is a complex and beautifully written story about Anglo-Saxon / European politics. It’s about the minutiae of life at the English court and of the ill-fated marriage between King Edward and Queen Edith. It’s also about the perceptiveness of the Godwinson’s, an ambitious family, who on recognising the feebleness of the King, made momentous decisions which would have dramatic consequences in the years leading up to, and including, 1066.

There is no doubt that the author has done his research well, and by cleverly blending historical fact with fiction, this Dark Age truly comes alive in the imagination. There is a distinct feel of authenticity to the story, so much so, that it really feels like you are immersed in the life and culture of eleventh century England. It becomes impossible to read the novel without the imagery of candle lit sconces flickering in the cold and of the dangers lurking in creeping shadows.

Overall, 1066 What Fates Impose is a multifaceted story, which is both delicately and intricately woven around the events leading up to that momentous autumn day in 1066. It is the story of the historical movers and shakers who were instrumental in the success of the Norman Conquest and who would, without doubt, be influential in the shaping of England for the next millennium.

Best Read With...chunks of roasted meat and a cup of hot wine, rich with the tang of berries..

About the Author




Website

Twitter @GlynnHolloway


Please return tomorrow on the 950th Anniversary the Battle of Hastings to read an interview with the author and the chance to win your own special signed copy of 1066 What Fates Impose..



Amazon UK

My thanks to the author for sharing his novel with me.

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Review ~ The English Daughter by Maggie Wadey

Sandstone Press
2016

A bit of blurb..

As a child I was aware of my mother being different from my father and his family, and that her difference was somehow connected with her being Irish, but I knew almost nothing of her youth and upbringing. In the year or so before she died, she did begin to talk to me about her past. The first sequence of the book is based on those childhood memories. Only after my mother’s death do I go to Tipperary and there I begin to discover another story, the life she never told me about.

My thoughts about the book..

After her mother's death, the author returns to her mother's Tipperary birthplace, and  there she learns about a life she never knew had existed. She always thought that her mother was different in upbringing from her father, but Maggie never realised just how much her mother's life had been influenced by her Irish childhood.

The author writes well and with great compassion about her mother's life and it is obvious that she is very competent in putting a story together. Part biography and part social history, The English Daughter is a compassionate study of what life was like in rural Ireland during the early part of the twentieth century and with great insight the author succeeds in bringing her mother's story alive.

It's strange, isn't it, that only when we have lost someone do we feel compelled to go back over their lives, sadly, when they are no longer in a position to recount their story for themselves. I think that Maggie Wadey has more than done justice to her mother's story and for that she should feel justifiably proud of herself. 

Best Read With ...Irish Soda bread, liberally spread with butter and a drop of Poitín..

About the Author

Maggie Wadey is a novelist and screenwriter. Her childhood was spent in England,  Egypt , Cyprus and a Sussex boarding school, After a brief time as a model she read philosophy at University College London. Amongst her screenplays are adaptations of Mansfield Park, the Buccaneers, the Yellow Wallpaper and the children's novel Stig of the Dump . She lives in East London with her husband.

My thanks to Diana at Ruth Killick Publicity for my copy of this book.

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The author in my spotlight ....is Lynda Young Spiro

I am thrilled to be able to welcome  Lynda Young Spiro to Jaffareadstoo


I recently read and enjoyed Lynda's novel There Is Always More To Say so I am thrilled to be able to chat to Lynda about her book.

Lynda, tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

Thanks so much Jo for having invited me to be a guest author on your lovely blog. What can I tell you about myself? I was born in Hampstead, London where I now live with my husband. I have two adult sons, although they will always be my babies! I’m a mixed media artist. I have an absolute passion for colour which along with my fascination with texture and my love of recycling have all found expression in a large body of work that includes textile design, latch-hooked rugs, needlepoint cushions, mosaics, painting and sculpture. I’m also a part time examinations invigilator. My hobbies are belly dancing, tap dancing (which I do with my 82-year-old mother!), and contemporary jazz dancing. I enjoy both going to the theatre and the cinema. I also like to take the opportunity to visit art galleries and museums. I adore travelling and experiencing different sights, sounds, and smells in new places.

My writing definitely started when I began working as an invigilator a couple of years ago. The silence was really lovely in the examination hall. Very peaceful. And as the girls wrote their exams I would think. I started reflecting, reminiscing, remembering. And when I got home I would write down these thoughts. By the end of the summer exam period I had accumulated a significant amount of writings. One afternoon I read some snippets to a close friend who suggested I turn them into a book. I had never written fiction before but the idea appealed to me. I had previously written a non-fiction book called Latch Hooking Rugs which was published by A & C Black.

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for There Is Always More To Say?

New Generation Publishing

2016

My story came from within all the words on paper that I had accumulated. I don’t remember a first flash of inspiration. The story just came to me. I had recently turned fifty-five and I realised that I had been married for over half of my life. I wasn’t sure where the time had gone. It made me think about the life that I had led before I was married and the life that I was now leading. I was inspired by my own experiences. And those of my friends. And of course my imagination played a huge part in the storyline of There Is Always More To Say. However, the first flash of inspiration would have been one of the pieces that I had thought about whilst in the examination hall.

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

The characters came first, then the theme and the story came last. I actually didn’t write the book in sequence. I wrote pieces and then put them all together. I literally wove a story around thoughts.

Will you explain to us a little more about the plot without giving too much away?

It’s quite hard talking about the plot without giving too much away but I’ll tell you a little bit about the story. In 1984, thirty years ago two people met by chance when fate intervened and drew them together. Their lives collided. And both were changed forever. The time they shared together was too brief. The friendship was abruptly disrupted and became restricted. Separated by circumstance and long distance. The communication was always sporadic. But the memories and the feelings have lingered for decades. For both of them. The narrator chronicles the lives of the couple through friendships, marriage, fleeting moments and snatched time. It is a passionate account about a connection between two people that never dies, even when tested by distance and when life throws the unexpected at their feet.

How did you come up with the title of your book?

I was down to a shortlist of three different titles of which There Is Always More To Say was not one of them. But one day whilst I was writing, in my head I thought ‘there is always more to say’. I can remember smiling to myself and thinking: yes, that’s my title. I still might use one of the other titles from the original shortlist for my next book.

And finally, what is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?

I hope my readers paint their own picture after having read my book. I would like them to posit their own questions, possibly interpret their own relationships and to place themselves in the story’s narrative after reading it. Hopefully, every reader will find something they can identify with and relate to within the story.

 More about the Author can be found on her website by clicking here 

Twitter @lyndaspiro

Amazon UK

My thanks to Lynda for  answering my questions so thoughtfully and also for sharing her novel with me.

You can read my review of There Is Always More To Say by clicking here

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Review ~ Stay Dead by Jessie Keane

Macmillan
September 2016

A bit of book blurb..

Stay Dead is the heart stopping sixth book in Jessie Keane's bestselling Annie Carter series. Annie Carter finally believes that life is good. She and Max are back together and she has a new and uncomplicated life sunning herself in Barbados. It's what she's always dreamed of. Then she gets the news that her old friend Dolly Farrell is dead, and suddenly she finds herself back in London and hunting down a murderer with only one thing on her mind ...revenge. But the hunter can so quickly become the hunted, and Annie has been keeping too many secrets. She's crossed and bettered a lot of people over the years, but this time the enemy is a lot closer to home and she may just have met her match.

My thoughts about the book..

This is the sixth book in the Annie Carter series and I sure that there are legions of this author's work who devour her  books as soon as they hit the bookshelf. As this was my first book by this author and therefore my first foray into the complicated world that Annie Carter inhabits, it must be said that I struggled with the story. Not because the writing lets it down, far from it, the plot and characterisation are very good, as the author clearly knows how to target her book towards her audience, but for me, it was more that without the benefit of knowing the series so far, I couldn't quite grasp the hidden nuances which make up so much of the story's overall effect.

There's no doubt that the author writes at a cracking good pace. The story moves along well and the hint of trouble and the constant threat of danger ensures that the story sits comfortably within the gangland crime/thriller genre. If you are already a fan then I am sure that you will love to see where Anna and Max's story moves along too,  however, if like me you are new to the Anna Carter series then it's probably better that you start at the very beginning, it seems like a very good place to start to get to know the fierce and feisty, Anna Carter. 

Best Read with... Large cups of coffee, heavy on the caffeine..

About the Author

Jessie Keane is a top twenty bestselling author. She's lived both ends of the spectrum, and her fascination with London's underworld led her to write Dirty Game, followed by best sellers Black Widow, Scarlet Women, Jail Bird,The Make, Playing Dead, Nameless, Ruthless (the fourth book to feature Annie Carter) and Lawless. Jessie's books have sold more than 750,000 copies, and she is a top 20 bestselling author. She now lives in Hampshire.

My thanks to Katie at Macmillan for my review copy of Stay Dead.



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