Review ~ The Christmas Court by Joanna Courtney

Christmas Reading

Pan
2015

The blurb..

The Christmas Court by Joanna Courtney is a festive historical short story from the author of The Chosen Queen.

King Edward's royal court has gathered at Westminster to welcome William of Normandy to England. As the ambitious Norman duke takes his place amongst the English lords, rumour and speculation are rife. It appears that William has an ulterior motive for making his timely visit to his childless royal cousin . .

100 pages.

My thoughts..

Sometimes at this time of year with so much preparation in the run up to Christmas it can be difficult to settle down to some reading time which is why this beautifully written novella is the perfect kind of Christmas reading. Short and sweet, with a gloriously authentic feel, this medieval story combines all that is good about this author's writing.

King Edward's royal court in December 1051 comes alive in the imagination. The crispness of yule and the warmth of cracking log fires combine to form the backdrop to a delicious romance which warms the heart and feeds the soul. Lady Freya. and her bubbly companion, Alodie find that life at the royal court is as sumptuous and rich as they hoped it would be and for a few glorious days, before her arranged marriage, Lady Freya can lose herself in gaiety and merrymaking... that is until she catches the eye of a handsome Norman knight who turns her ordered world upside down.

Rich in historical detail and alive with all the curiosities of life at one of the greatest royal courts on earth, this story is a joy to read from start to finish.



Best Read With ...Hot roasted chestnuts and a cup of honey sweet wassail..



About the author





Follow on Twitter @joannacourtney1


Amazon


The Christmas Court is currently 98p on kindle

My thanks to Jess at Macmillan for my e-copy of The Christmas Court

Review ~ Jungle Rock by Caroline James

Christmas Read

RamJam Publishing Compmany
2016

The Blurb..

Handsome young chef, Zach Docherty is feeling the heat. Following an exposé in a national newspaper his fiancée Poppy Dunlop, has broken their engagement. Heartbroken at the thought of life without Poppy, Zach drowns his sorrows and when his agent suggests that Zach becomes a contestant in a reality TV show, Jungle Survival, he reluctantly agrees. Plunged deep in the jungle, into a bizarre mix of talent and trials, Zach meets glamour model, Cleo Petra, and the cameras go crazy.

Will Zach survive and be crowned Jungle King?

Or will his latest exploits push Poppy further away...

My thoughts..

As always Caroline writes with great warmth and wit and in this novella she again shows just how quickly she can bring her characters to life. There is much that is topical in this story and there is a nice feeling of authenticity in the way the story progresses especially if you are  fan of the TV series I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here...

Coming in at 80 pages, the story is light and easy to read, and I think that's sometimes just what is needed at this time of year, especially when the whole Christmas razzmatazz cranks up to high, sometimes, it's just oh so nice to sit back with a gingerbread latte, kick off your shoes and let the whole world drift on by.

For those who have read Caroline's previous books you will notice a welcome return of some of the characters but don't despair if you haven't, as this story easily stands alone and can be read with no prior knowledge.


Jungle Rock is a joy to read from start to finish and a perfect antidote for Christmas Stress..


Best Read with.. A spiced gingerbread latte, preferably tucked away in a quiet corner somewhere warm and cosy...

About the Author

Caroline James lives in Cheshire and spends her time writing romantic comedy, climbing mountains and running a consultancy business. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, The Society of Authors and a Feature Editor for an online magazine. Caroline writes short stories and contributes articles to many publications.

Caroline's new novella, Jungle Rock, is available now to download for just 99p

Find on Facebook 
Follow on Twitter @CarolineJames12

My thanks to the author for sharing her book with me

Review ~ Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans by Cathy Sharp

 Christmas Reading

Harper
2016

The book blurb...

Little twin sisters, Sarah and Samantha are all alone in the world. When their mother died giving birth to Sarah, she was blamed for the death by her father and her learning difficulties serve only to make him more angry and violent towards her. Now he’s finally abandoned them both and they’ve found sanctuary at St Saviour’s Children’s Home in London’s East End. It seems they’re doomed to be separated; no one wants to take Sarah on, but life apart will break their hearts.

Alice, a former worker at the home who is now a mother and happily married to Bob, finds her happiness under threat when a face from the past reappears. Jack Shaw, East End bad boy, has always been Alice’s weak spot but is she really about to throw everything away?

Angela Morton has her hands full; she’s now in sole charge. But with Christmas approaching, and more than one orphan in desperate need, St Saviour’s is crying out for a miracle.

My thoughts...

This is now the third book in the Halfpenny Street series of novels and whilst each book is written to stand alone, there are characters and situations which are mentioned, which have been in the series from the start. That said, I thought that the story started well, with some nice characterisation and enough detail about St Saviour's Children home to whet my appetite.

The story of two abandoned children who run away from home certainly gets the book off to an interesting start, and when combined with the other story threads, a theme of determination against all odds starts to develop. Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans is light and easy to read and the characters are nicely portrayed. The way of life at St. Saviour's with all its many complications is well described and the story is both sad and heart-warming in equal measure showing people at both their best... and worst.

It is obvious that the author clearly enjoys writing this series and this shows in the way she lovingly describes her characters so that they become real in the imagination. I am sure that fans of this series who have previously invested in the story and characters will find much to enjoy in this latest novel.

Best Read with..a nice glass of sweet sherry and a warm mince pie..

About the Author

Cathy Sharp is happily married and lives with her husband in a small Cambridgeshire village. They like visiting Spain together and enjoy the benefits of sunshine and pleasant walks, while at home they love their garden and visiting the Norfolk seaside.

Cathy loves writing because it gives pleasure to others, she finds writing an extension of herself and it gives her great satisfaction. Cathy says, ‘There is nothing like seeing your book in print, because so much loving care has been given to bringing that book into being.’

Thanks to Harper for my review copy of this lovely Christmas saga

Sunday WW1 Remembered ...Tommy Rot by John Sadler and Rosie Serdiville

The History Press
2013

This is one of my favourite reads. It's a beautiful little book interspersed with pictures, prose and verse and which shares the remarkable power of the poetry of the ordinary Tommy. It's a tribute to those extraordinary young men who so often found themselves in horrendous situations, and whose only way to survive was to make up ditties and poems to make each other laugh. Some of the poems wouldn't be considered very politically correct today but to be read in the context of the time in which they were written there is a poignancy, and so often a deep sadness, and an overwhelming cynicism contained within their words.

Some of the verses made me laugh as there is no doubt that they are a little bit naughty and meant to titillate, but there are also sharp observations about the futility of the whole sorry situation that the soldiers found themselves in, as in this anonymous outburst..

" I heard the bugles callin' an join I felt I must

Now I wish I'd let them go on blowin' till they bust !! "

Anon.

I wonder just how many of those soldiers who so readily answered Kitchener's call  wished that they hadn't been quite so quick to take up the call to arms.

I have a great deal of respect for those men who cradled themselves in the corner of a deeply dug trench and for whom every waking day was a challenge of survival. The frightening reality of duckboards deeply entrenched in oozing layers of mud. The pervading stink and slime of bodies left to decompose and fester above the parapet, and the fear, pain and uncertainty of never really knowing what the day ahead would bring. So, if the soldiers found comfort in gallows humour, in the sharing of risque ditties and saucy postcards...well, who would begrudge them that small bit of humanity in a world which  they must have, so often, thought had gone completely mad.

Most of the poems contained within this volume are not included in the celebrated canon of WW1 war poets but these simpler verses are no less powerful. The voices of the ordinary Tommy deserve to be heard.

Close To Home .....J Carmen Smith

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 and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.

Today I'm delighted to welcome Northern writer

J Carmen Smith 


Talking about how her Spanish grandmother influenced her north of England roots

I know why my Spanish grandmother left her home in Santiago de Compostela, but not why she chose to emigrate to Liverpool, England, rather than Spanish-speaking Argentina, the direction many of her fellow emigrants chose. Whatever her reasons, I am grateful for her choice – otherwise I wouldn’t be here to tell the tale!

Micaela arrived in Liverpool in 1904. Looking at photographs of the city taken at the time, I wonder what her reactions were. She was 27 years of age, widowed, and had left behind parents, grandparents, and younger siblings, to make a new life in a city whose language and culture were completely alien to her. Looking at Liverpool’s magnificent – and world-renowned – waterfront now, I have to remind myself that when Micaela arrived the Three Graces were yet to be built and it would be many years before the awe-inspiring Anglican Cathedral would dominate the skyline. The concept of an ‘Anglican’ Cathedral would also be beyond her understanding and she would not live to see the Metropolitan Cathedral rise at the opposite end of Hope Street. 

Growing up knowing very little of my Spanish grandmother’s life before she arrived in Liverpool, it has taken me sixteen years to piece together Micaela’s story. Over many visits to Santiago de Compostela I have traced the houses she lived in; the churches where she and other members of her family were baptised and married; the shop where her grandfather had his hatter’s business; even the building where her artist father exhibited his paintings in the 1920s. Micaela would still recognise the city streets, except for the traffic; the houses she lived in would be just as familiar. This is not the case in Liverpool, where in the aftermath of bombs, bulldozers and modern planning, the city she lived in until her death in 1950 has changed beyond recognition. 

This is a recent photograph of the house in Santiago de Compostela where my grandmother was born in 1887 – the one with the two balconies. Of course it must have been updated internally, but the structure looks as sound today as it would have been over a century ago.

This is a recent photograph of the church – the San Pedro Apostol – where many of my ancestors were baptised and/or married:

In contrast, the church in Liverpool where my grandmother married my grandfather, a Spanish seaman, in 1907, was bomb damaged in 1941, rebuilt in the 1950s, closed in 2001 due to diminishing congregations, and finally demolished in 2004.

A photograph of Micaela and José taken after their marriage

It seems ironic that the places connected with Micaela’s life in Spain still exist, but not those in Liverpool. Contrast the street where my grandmother was born, with the one where my mother was born in October 1908; this photo was probably taken in the 1930s.

And this is a recent photograph:

The street name is still there, but most of the street has been demolished. It is one of the few areas where the original cobbles remain and I couldn’t resist walking on them – following in my grandmother’s footsteps!

A couple years ago, the Hispanic Liverpool Project was formed by Dr Kirsty Hooper, at that time head of Hispanic Studies at The University of Liverpool. The aim of this project is to ‘gather, preserve and share the forgotten stories of Liverpool’s Hispanic community’. Becoming a member of that community, meeting others with a similar background to mine, sharing family histories, enjoying social occasions, heritage walks, etc, has become an important part of my life. It has given me an insight into my Spanish roots and into the tightly-knit community of Spanish immigrants who made Liverpool their home.

Although I now live 20 miles outside Liverpool, I still have strong connections with the city and visit regularly. Great changes have taken place even in my lifetime, some for the better – of course slum housing needed to be swept away – some to be regretted, we have lost too many architectural gems in the name of progress. However, I like to think that my grandmother would have appreciated the vast improvement to the Albert Dock area, a big tourist attraction, and also the attractive Liverpool 1 shopping complex. She would still recognise St George’s Hall, the Walker Art Gallery, the World Museum and The Central Library, an area which still takes my breath away however often I visit. The river may be less crowded with ships than it was in her day but it is just as vibrant – and you can still catch a ‘Ferry Across the Mersey’!

My book Chasing Shadows is testament to the fact that my heritage is deeply rooted in two very different, magnificent, northern cities.

What a fascinating story !

Huge thanks to J Carmen Smith for her guest post about how she came to have her northern roots in the city of Liverpool and how her grandparents were such a wonderful inspiration for her book Chasing Shadows.

Thanks also to Ian at Corazon Books for his help and enthusiasm for my Close to Home Project.

Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have.. 

Coming Next Week :  Ian Skillicorn from Corazon Books will be talking about

Northern Writer : Naomi Jacobs

~***~

Review ~ The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir by Lesley Allen

Twenty7
2016

The Blurb..

Abandoned by her mother as a baby, Biddy lives in her own little world, happy to pass her time watching the birds - until Alison Fleming joins her school.

Popular and beautiful, but with a dangerous, malevolent streak, Alison quickly secures the admiration of her fellow students. All except one. And Alison doesn't take kindly to people who don't fit her mould . . .

A story of abuse and survival, of falling down and of starting again, and of one woman's battle to learn to love herself for who she is, The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir is Lesley Allen’s startlingly honest debut novel, perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman and Julie Cohen.

My thoughts..

Reading as many books as I do, invariably I get a feeling that some books are going to be rather more special than others, and that was entirely the case with The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir.

Being caught up in the story of how Biddy Weir was cast aside and ostracised by her peers gives a whole new meaning to the phrase being 'immersed' in a story. There is no other way but to read this in one sitting, and that's just what I did, setting aside a quiet afternoon, I rolled with the story, completely at one with Biddy, and more than a little bothered by just how the story was opening up.

To say more would be to do this book a grave injustice, as it should be read with no preconceived notions, but I absolutely guarantee that by the end of the first chapter you too will be immersed and, if you are anything like me, you won't let up until Biddy's sad and sorrowful story is told.

It's a very clever author who can get so immersed in the psyche of a character that it becomes so totally believable that as the story progresses it becomes more and more difficult to read without a whopping big lump in your throat. Biddy's story broke my heart into a million pieces, I wanted to wrap her is one of my home made blankets, I wanted to cherish and protect her and keep her safe from harm and more than anything else I wanted to stop the bullies saying that she was a weirdo.

There are a few select books in my arsenal of books that everyone should read and Lesley Allen's debut novel , The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir is one of them.

Best read with... a man size box of tissues and comforting packet of Kimberley biscuits..

About the author

Lesley Allen lives in Bangor, County Down. She is a freelance copywriter and the press officer and assistant programme developer for Open House Festival. Lesley is previous recipient of the James Kilfedder Memorial Bursary, and two Support for the Individual Artist Art’s Council Awards. She was named as one of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s 2016 Artist Career Enhancement Scheme (ACES) recipients for literature. She will be using the award to complete her second book.

Find her on Facebook

Follow on Twitter @Lesley_Allen_


Read an interview with the author by clicking here 

Huge thanks to Emily at Bonnier Zaffre for sending out a copy of this book to me

~***~

Review ~ Christmas at Lilac Cottage

Christmas Read

White Cliff Bay #1
Zaffre
2016

The book blurb..

Penny Meadows loves her cosy cottage with its stunning views over the snow topped town of White Cliff Bay, but not even the roaring log fire can keep her heart from feeling frozen.

That is until dashing Henry and his daughter Daisy arrive for the festive season. And between decking the halls and baking mince pies, penny realises there is more to Henry than meets the eye.

With sleigh bells ringing and fairy lights twinkling, the Christmas ball is in full swing.

Will Penny be able to melt the ice and allow love into her heart? 

And will she finally have the perfect Christmas she's been dreaming of?

My thoughts..

On a cold and frosty day I decided to curl up in my favourite chair with a cup of hot chocolate and lost myself in the sugary goodness of Christmas at Lilac Cottage.

Penny Meadows is a trained ice sculptor whose world is sometimes as frosty as the ice blocks she so beautifully carves. Seemingly content with only the company of her aging dog Bernard she appears to be something of a lonely figure. Sure, she has good friends in the small community of White Cliff Bay, but since a failed relationship left her bruised she seems happy to live her life fairly solitary, that is, until the charming Henry and his teenage daughter Daisy come to rent the annex attached to her home at Lilac Cottage.

What then follows is an appealing story which looks at the trials and tribulations of relationships, not just between men and women, but also about fathers and daughters. The author writes well, and with wit and warmth she allows her characters to really come alive on the page.  The inevitable attraction between Henry and Penny is handled really nicely and there are some lovely light touches which show that the path of true love never runs smoothly. The inclusion of teenager Daisy into the mix gives the book an altogether different dynamic and alters the tone of the story, and gives an altogether different perspective on how adult relationships develop when there are teenagers to consider.

I really enjoyed this light and easy to read Christmas story and will certainly be returning to White Cliff Bay again.

Best Read with...Smooth and velvety hot chocolate and one of Holly's mince pie cakes...

More about the Author can be found by clicking here

Follow on Twitter @hollymartin00

My thanks to Emily at Bonnier Zaffre for my review copy of Christmas at Lilac Cottage