Guest Author ~ Lilly Bartlett

I'm excited to announce that Harper Impulse have signed three books with Michele Gorman writing as Lilly Bartlett

Lilly's books are cosy rom-coms with quirky characters and guaranteed happy-ever-afters.

Harper Impulse
April 2017

​When Emma’s boyfriend Daniel pops the question with a ring the size of a small country, she suddenly realises just how different they are. She’s the Eastenders to his Made in Chelsea. She wants a low-key wedding with close friends and family in Uncle Colin’s pub, while Daniel’s mother is expecting a society do that their high-brow guests won’t forget!

How on earth can Emma put together a celebration fit for Lords and Ladies on a shoestring budget? Not to mention the fact her cross-dressing Uncle Barbara wants to be a bridesmaid, her best mate Kelly can’t stand Daniel’s best friend Cressida, and her dad is too proud to accept any help from Daniel’s family towards the costs.

There’s three months to go until the big day. Will Emma’s happy-ever-after end in disaster?

I was able to catch up with Lilly this week and this is what she told me about the inspiration for her latest novel..

The inspiration for The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square is in the dedication to the book... my friends Ben and Ting, who got married last summer and, with the help of all their friends and family, threw the most magical wedding you can imagine, on very little money! I baked their wedding cakes.

There's a sequel coming up in June, and I might love it even more than Lilly's debut! It's called The Second Chance Cafe in Carlton Square. 

And Lilly's third book in September, called The Big Dreams Beach Hotel, which has a new cast of characters. 

You will find the ebook of The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square on Amazon UK

You will find The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square on Amazon.com  

More details on the publisher website here

Huge thanks to Lilly for spending time with us today.

Jaffa and I wish you much success with this new venture.

~***~

Guest Author ~ Jan Ruth

I am delighted to welcome the author, Jan Ruth back to Jaffareadstoo

Today, Jan is sharing her thoughts about Natural Dialogue in her Midnight Sky series...

Just when you think you know everything about a subject, along comes someone to blow apart a lifetime of assumptions. Monty Roberts’ father was virtually destroyed by his son’s belief in ‘horse-whispering’, as a far more humane and less exhausting method of breaking and training horses. It’s no secret that Monty took a severe beating for it.

A remarkable man, Roberts went on to foster disadvantaged children, using much the same wisdom and insight he’d learnt through studying horses and their social groups in the wild. It’s too easy – and often misguided – to bestow animals with human emotion, but maybe trust is rooted in the same place in humans as in horses, and observation and interpretation is all that’s required to make a valuable connection, regardless of language. And isn’t whispering usually far more effective than shouting? Much the same as writing good fiction; and if we’re talking analogies there’s nothing worse than clunky dialogue. Is Natural Horsemanship simply natural dialogue?

As with most things that work well, it’s based on a simple concept of alignment with nature. Horses like to hang in a crowd (herd), follow the leaders – usually the older mares – and be out in the open simply because if there’s a predator, they’re more likely to bolt, than stand and fight. That’s about it. If a horse is singled out he is more likely to turn to us without fear or aggression once he comes to realise that we are not predatory, and as a surrogate leader can offer the ultimate protection. And that’s where the ‘following’ or ‘joining-up’ comes in.

This principle works with wild/un-handled horses as well as re-training by reiterating the relationship of horse and leader for equines who have formed bad habits, or those with anxiety issues. Actually, most bad habits stem from anxiety and a lack of leadership. It’s a little like your pet dog – and dare I say children, too? – needing to know their safe and secure place in the family pack, although the body language between dogs and horses is rather different. Flattened ears in a dog is more likely to mean subservient greetings whereas a horse … well, watch out! 

Not everyone agrees that these principles are quite so cut and dried, and as is often the case with a lot of unquantified skills, there is perhaps some sixth-sense at work gleaned from years of experience. There are many equine behavourists who claim the ‘following’ principle is flawed. But the proof is in the pudding. I’ve watched trainers use these techniques on a couple of riding-school horses – both of whom they’d never ‘met’ – with amazingly fast results: 20 minutes to resolve a problem with electric clippers on a mare which had for some 12 years, aggressively avoided the issue. The owner was quite rightly, open-mouthed. But the problem isn’t solved in its entirety, as the trainer explained: Tilly’s owner needed to learn and understand the process for herself, and as is the case with most success stories, a certain measure of self-belief is required. It’s this psychological leadership which is perhaps where the sixth-sense bridges that gap between human and equine.

Horses have been a lifetime’s passion for me. No surprise that they feature in most of my novels, more so in MIDNIGHT SKY and PALOMINO SKY. Both books draw on the principles of horse-whispering and the power of self-belief – but I take on this theme in a fictional sense rather than a technical sense. It’s so easy to swamp the narrative with too much unwanted detail. And yet, it’s the minutiae of life which underpins the storyline in Palomino Sky. As with horse-whispering, it’s the observation of perhaps something seemingly inconsequential which can change an entire situation. If you’re not horse savvy or enjoy only a passing interest, I’ve tried to portray the equine aspect as secondary to the storyline in these books. On the other hand, horse enthusiasts will hopefully embrace the setting. STRAWBERRY SKY completes the series. 

ABOUT JAN RUTH:

The real story began at school, with prizes for short stories and poetry. She failed all things mathematical and scientific, and to this day struggles to make sense of anything numerical.

Her first novel - written in 1986 - attracted the attention of an agent who was trying to set up her own company, Love Stories Ltd. It was a project aiming to champion those books of substance which contained a romantic element but were perhaps directed towards the more mature reader and consistently fell through the net in traditional publishing. Sadly, the project failed to get the right financial backing. 

Many years later Jan's second novel, Wild Water, was taken on by Jane Judd, literary agent. Judd was a huge inspiration, but the book failed to find the right niche with a publisher. It didn't fall into a specific category and, narrated mostly from the male viewpoint, it was considered out of genre for most publishers and too much of a risk. 

Amazon changed the face of the industry with the advent of self-publishing; opening up the market for readers to decide the fate of those previously spurned novels. Jan went on to successfully publish several works of fiction and short story collections and after a brief partnership with Accent Press in 2015, has returned to the freedom of independent publishing.

ABOUT MY BOOKS: 

I write contemporary fiction about the darker side of the family dynamic with a generous helping of humour, horses and dogs. My books blend the serenities of rural life with the headaches of city business, exploring the endless complexities of relationships. 

Amazon

You will find the Kindle copy of Strawberry Sky on Amazon UK 

Find Jan on Facebook, Follow on Twitter or visit her Website 

Huge thanks to Jan for being our guest on the blog today. 

Jaffa and I wish you huge success with Strawberry Sky

~***~

Blog Tour ~ My Name is Leon by Kit De Waal

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on 

My Name is Leon Blog Tour

What's it all about..

Published by Penguin Random House
2017

Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. Their mum isn't feeling herself, so they've gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing Pretend faces. They are threatening to give Jake to strangers. Since Jake is white and Leon is not.

Evoking a Britain of the early eighties, My Name is Leon is a heart-breaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how - just when we least expect it - we manage to find our way home.

Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2016

What did I think about it...

Life isn't easy for Leon, and even from the start of the novel, when Leon's baby brother, Jake is born you can sense that the emotional attachment that Leon feels for Jake goes far beyond the ordinary bond of affection between siblings.

At the start of the story, Leon is a vulnerable eight year old with more than his share of life's woes upon his slender shoulders. His mother, Carol is both dejected and defeated by the hand that life has dealt her and this manifests itself in areas of neglect towards her children which is difficult to read. And yet, there is no doubt that Carol loves her children but she simply can't cope with the responsibility of caring for them, and so we start the story of Leon and Jake's involvement in the 1980s social care system.

My name is Leon is a story seen through the eyes of a vulnerable child for whom both parental responsibility and social welfare failed him. Its language is simple as befits the understanding of a child, however, it's not without impact and there were times when I read Leon's story with a whopping big lump in my throat. You can't help but fall in love with Leon; he has a huge heart and a capacity to understand what's going on even though at times he seems bewildered by a system that had the ability to break families into a million pieces.

The author writes well and engages her reading audience from the very start and in bringing Leon to life she has created a hero worthy of our love and affection. There is no doubt that the story is heartbreakingly sad in places but throughout the story there is also an overwhelming belief in the power of the human spirit.

Best Read With.. One of Maureen's dinners and a curly whirly...

More about the author an be found on her website by clicking here 

Follow on Twitter @kitdewaal #MyNameIsLeon

Goodreads

My thanks to Josie at Penguin Random House for the invitation to be part of this blog tour.

~***~

Review ~ The Little Breton Bistro by Nina George

Abacus
Little, Brown Book Group
2017

Translated by Simon Pare

What's it all about..

Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as the end of the world.

Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life s small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it s never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along. 

With all the buoyant charm that made The Little Paris Bookshop a beloved bestseller, The Little French Bistro is a tale of second chances and a delightful embrace of the joys of life in France.

What did I think about it...

At the start of the book we meet Marianne Messmann , a rather sad and lonely figure who feels that, aged sixty, her life is over. On a trip to Paris with her boorish husband, Lothar, Marianne makes the momentous decision to jump from the Pont de Neuf Bridge into the river Seine below. However, for Marianne, the fickle finger of fate has a funny way of intervening and rather than this being the end of her life, by a strange quirk of fortune, she is rescued by a stranger.  This unexpected opportunity starts a journey of self-discovery, which will take Marianne away from ill-mannered Lothar and a glorious escape to the beautiful Breton coastline, and into situations she never would have believed possible.

The story is beautifully written and sensitively translated so that nothing is lost in switching from its original German. There is an almost old world charm to the narrative which looks at life in all its many guises and which introduces us to heart-warming characters that make you smile and laugh out loud. The author has a distinctive style of writing which is both charming and thoughtful. She delights in looking at the minutiae of people's lives and she gently unravels the complexities of relationships with such empathy and warmth that it is difficult not to be captivated by the story as it gently unfolds.

I have spent holidays in this quiet part of Northern France and the author captures to perfection both its beauty and charisma. Brittany and the area, around Corncarneau, so thoughtfully described in the story, really comes alive. I could easily re-imagine the sun drenched streets and the hustle and bustle of its quaint harbours and colourful markets.

The Little Breton Bistro is a delight to read from start to finish.

Best Read With...Buckwheat pancakes and a cup of apple cider, gently sweet from the Breton sunshine..

About the Author

Born in 1973, Nina George is a journalist and an author of numerous best selling novels which have been translated into several languages. The Little Paris Bookshop was a phenomenal hit around the world. The author lives in Hamburg.

Find out more on the author's website by clicking here 

Follow on Twitter @nina_george

My thanks to Hayley at Little Brown.co.uk for my review copy of this book

~***~

Review ~ The Fifth Letter by Nicola Moriarty

Penguin
March 2017

What's it all about...

Joni, Trina, Deb and Eden.

Best friends since the first day of school. Best friends, they liked to say, forever.

But now they are in their thirties and real life - husbands, children, work - has got in the way. So, resurrecting their annual trip away, Joni has an idea, something to help them reconnect.

Each woman will write an anonymous letter, sharing with their friends the things that are really going on in their lives.

But as the confessions come tumbling out, Joni starts to feel the certainty of their decades-long friendships slip from her fingers.

Anger. Accusations. Desires. Deceit. 

And then she finds another letter. One that was never supposed to be read. A fifth letter. Containing a secret so big that its writer had tried to destroy it. And now Joni is starting to wonder, did she ever really know her friends at all.

What did I think about it...

This story looks at the dynamics of female friendships and of those secrets we keep even from our closest friends, which just goes to show that you never really know the people you think you know.

For Joni, Trina, Deb and Eden, their annual 'girlie' trip is something they all look forward to immensely. It's a time to break away from the conventions of their ordinary lives, and a chance to let their hair down and enjoy each other's company. When Joni suggests, as a matter of fun, that they each write a letter revealing a secret about themselves, what should have been fun and frivolous, soon turns into something very different. The inclusion into the mix of a mysterious fifth letter written by one of the group but never meant to be shared suddenly changes the whole dynamics of the situation , and as lives are laid bare, the repercussions on their friendship becomes intolerable.

The story flows well and the author has done a great job of making each of the four friends feel different and yet, each of them has something quite special about them. Inevitably, I liked some characters more than others but throughout the story I was involved in what was going on and was intrigued by the both the concept and repercussions of revealing so much about themselves.

I enjoyed this candid look at female friendship and of the dangers of revealing too much about yourself to the wrong people.

Best Read With ...a protein shake and healthy snacks..

About the Author

Nicola Moriarty is a student, a mother, a swimming teacher and now a writer. She has been an actress, a(terrible) waitress, an (equally terrible) bartender in a London pub, a marketing coordinator and a door-todoor sales person. She lives in Sydney with her husband and children.

Follow on Twitter @NikkiM3

#TheFifthLetter

My thanks to Sarah at Penguin for sending a copy of this book to me.

~***~

Sunday WW1 Remembered

I am a frequent visitor to the History of the Great War website and I am always fascinated in the timeline of events which are so clearly marked out for each month of the war.

April 9th -12th, 1917

The Battle of Vimy Ridge

Today, April 9th, marks the centenary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge which was fought primarily as part of the offensive known as the Battle of Arras in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. The armies involved were four divisions of the Canadian Corps against three divisions of the German Sixth Army. The objective was to take control of the high ridge along an escarpment at the northern end of the Arras Offensive.The battle took place between the 9-12th April, 1917 and was particularly fierce resulting in much injury and loss of life.

The offensive was due to begin on Easter Sunday but was postponed at the request of the French who wouldn't contemplate beginning such a battle during a Christian festival, so the battle began on the 9th April, which was Easter Monday. The weather was cold with sleet and snow which in a way worked to the allies advantage as the snow was blown in the direction of the German troops higher along the ridge.

At exactly 05:30, the battle for Vimy Ridge began with every piece of Canadian artillery being charged along with the detonation of land mines under no man's land and under the German trench line.  Over 15,000 Canadian troops stormed the Ridge capturing most of the German positions by the end of the first day.

The battle concluded on the 12th April with the Canadians firmly in control of Vimy Ridge but it had been a painful and ferocious fight which resulted in 10,602 casualties: 3,598 killed and 7,004 wounded.The German Sixth Army suffered an unknown number of casualties with approximately 4,000 men becoming prisoners of war.

Four members of the Canadian Corps received Victoria Crosses - this was the the highest military decoration awarded to British and Commonwealth forces for bravery during the battle:

Private William Johnstone Milne of the 16th (Canadain Scottish) Barttalion 

Lance-Sergeant Ellis Wellwood Sifton of the 18th (Western Ontario) Battalion.

Private John George Pattison of the 50th (Calgary) Battalion

Captain Thain Wendell McDowell of the 39th (Ottawa) Battalion

To commemorate the  Battle of Vimy Ridge there will be a service of Remembrance held at the Vimy Ridge Memorial today and attended by representatives from Canada, United Kingdom and France.

Close to Home ....Gina Kirkham

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 welcome North West Writer


Gina Kirkham

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

Even though I seem to be hurtling towards my sixties at an alarming rate, I like to think that I'm still pretty agile and young at heart, although my knees, which strangely enough have started to sound like a team of elephants jumping on bubble wrap first thing in the morning, tell me otherwise. I'm a Nanny to two beautiful granddaughters, Olivia and Annie, spend my days chasing around after my two Westies, Brodie and Bailey, and trying to keep a previously used, but still in excellent condition husband, constantly amused with my antics. After a very enjoyable and successful career with Merseyside Police as an operational response Constable, I retired in August 2012. I had visions of slipping into Gin & Tonic induced comas in the garden, shaded from the afternoon sun by dappled shadows from the trees, whilst the busy world I had been part of carried on without me. Sadly, as romantic as this vision seemed, it was doomed to failure as the first three months offered only perpetual rain and a huge price increase on the Gin! So, with a pot of tea on the go and half a packet of digestives to keep me fuelled, three sheets of paper later, I had drafted out a plot, a character and a story and I was off on a most exciting adventure.

You are about to publish your debut novel. Are you allowed to tell us anything about the book and your inspiration for writing Handcuffs, Truncheon and a Polyester Thong?

Urbane Publications
18 May 2017

Handcuffs, Truncheon and A Polyester Thong is inspired by my career as a police officer. As difficult, stressful and harrowing the job could be at times, there was always time for laughter. On many, many occasions, laughter and humour were our coping mechanism for the unpleasantness in this world. The story is told through the eyes of Mavis Upton, a recently divorced, ‘thirtysomething’ mummy to 7 year old Ella. Supported by her quirky, malapropismsuffering mum, Mavis is flung into a journey of uncertainty, self-discovery, fearless escapades, laughter and extra-large knickers as she follows a lifelong ambition to become a Police Officer. Using her new found investigative skills, she reluctantly embarks on a search to find her errant dad who was last seen in 1962 carrying an early morning edition of the Daily Mirror that contained her mum’s much needed coupon for a foam cup bra all the way from America. What follows is a humorous and sometimes poignant look at the life, loves and career of an everyday girl who one day followed a dream.

What have been the highs and lows of writing your first novel?

There has definitely been a few lows. Losing my first three weeks worth of work in the early days was the most memorable. My laptop crashed and died. Panic struck I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief as remembered I’d had the foresight to save it to a ‘stick thingy’ my husband had given me. As you can see by my excellent use of technical jargon, I am an absolute duffer when it comes to computers. Sadly, after much messing around, it transpired that I must have stuck it in the wrong ‘outlet thingy’ as nothing was on it. I cried, kicked the stuffed hedgehog doorstop, had a gin and started again. I now have three ‘stick thingies’ which I save everything, and I mean everything, on and a big sticker on the side of my new PC that declares in red felt pen ‘This is the right outlet, duffer!’ The high has got to be opening the email from Matthew, my publisher, saying he would love to publish Handcuffs, Truncheon. I was on holiday with my hubby who was very relaxed draped out on his sun lounger reading Simon Scarrow’s Britannia, when I came screaming out from the door of the villa waving my iPad in the air in unbridled excitement. Hubby, very much in the zone, fearing he was to be imminently attacked by a Roman Soldier, kicked out his leg, sending me toppling over the adjacent lounger. I was so beside myself with joy I could barely get the words out to tell him.

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

The northwest has an amazing selection of book stores, both well known and the smaller café book shops, that are incredibly supportive of local authors. So far, and I know I am talking very early days as this is my first novel, I have yet to see any disparity between North and South for marketing and promotion. I do believe social media has played a huge part in narrowing the gap, everything is so accessible these days. I have been amazed at the ‘family’ atmosphere of Blogging Groups on Facebook and Twitter, everyone is hugely supportive of each other and in particular the authors, giving them a platform to introduce themselves and their work.


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?

Gosh, that's a difficult one to put into words as it is such a wonderful place to live and work, with so many different facets to the area. I think what I love so much about the North-West is that I have the beach, sea views, wonderful countryside and parks, and a slower paced village life on my doorstep, but a short journey away I have the amazing vibrant City of Liverpool and the Docks one way and the beautiful, historic City of Chester the other. I have the best of all-worlds living here on the Wirral.

As Northerners, we do tend to have an ‘in this together’ attitude, where if help is needed, everyone pulls together and we have a unique sense of humour in adversity, which is where my inspiration to write first evolved.

Writing is a solitary business - how do you interact with other authors?

I do enjoy the solitude and tranquility of writing and I am fortunate that my ‘office’ looks out on to my garden and the very trees that were supposed to give me dappled shade in the early days of my retirement. Now my fingers gently caress the keys of my PC rather than the glass holding my gin! Initially, my only contact with other authors was with my nephew, and my neighbour, who are both crime authors. They encouraged, berated, laughed and taught me everything I know. Since being signed by Urbane Publications, I have met some of the other lovely Urbanites at a pre-Christmas party in London, they were a fantastic bunch of people. Again, through social media, we keep in touch, encourage and support each other, prop each other up at low points and generally have a giggle. It's like being part of a big family.

Have you found that local communities have been supportive of your writing, and have there been any opportunities yet for book shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting your work?

Yes, they are very supportive here. Through word of mouth, before I have even been out on my travels trying to sell my soul for a chance to shine, I have been contacted by local reading groups asking if I will visit and have a chat about my book and my journey to getting published, once the book is out. A local independent book shop on the Wirral, the fabulous Linghams, has offered me a signing event in May, which I'm really looking forward to doing. I've been practicing my signature for days in various pens, colours and effects. It’s at times like this I wish I had been christened Abigail or Felicity, as I could get a really good flourish with those names!

More about Gina can be found on her website by clicking here 
Follow on Twitter @gingeejay

Publication date for Handcuffs ,Truncheon and a Polyester Thong is the 18th May, 2017 Urbane Publications  (Matthew Smith)

Available for pre-order from Amazon UK

Huge thanks to Gina for spending time with us today and for sharing the excitement of her debut novel with us.

I hope that you have enjoyed this week's Close to Home Feature

Coming next week : Clare Coombes

~***~