Author Archives: Jane Cable

THE CRAFTY WRITER REVIEWS…

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Author Morton S Gray has a passion for crafting, and here she reviews three books guaranteed to inspire.

Wreath Making For All Occasions by Becci Coombes

This book is full of lovely ideas and makes wreath making accessible to people of all abilities.

I love the willow star wreath and it looks much easier to achieve for a beginner than the circular willow wreath. When I got to the page about the book lover’s Valentine I exclaimed aloud at the beauty of the wreath and want to make one of these very much. The lavender wrapped in ribbon project took me right back to childhood and making a similar thing with my nan.

Gorgeous photography throughout. Lots of ideas and inspiration – just a super book.

 

Natural Kitchen Dyes by Alicia Hall

I am forever trying to replace dubious chemical products in my life and use more natural alternatives where I can so that I am clear of the origin and source – this book fulfils this brief for dyeing fabric, raffia and wool. Fascinating insights and processes, and I guess a throwback to the world of our ancestors who knew how to dye cloth using just the things around them.

The illustrations are gorgeous throughout the book, making it clear what to use and making me lust after the beautifully subtle array of colours. I love the idea that I can cook a meal and use peelings, stones and leftovers to create lovely dyes later and especially the fact that as these are foodstuffs that both these raw materials and the dyes can be frozen for use at a future date.

The section about which fibres dye well is useful and I had lightbulbs going off in my head all over the place at the thought of dyeing my own wool for my crochet and weaving projects, material for my patchwork too. I also remembered that I have some unused, undyed silk scarves in my craft cupboard that I can experiment with. My eyes also lit up at the mention of dyeing antique lace.

I will heed the precautionary tales about splashes, as I suspect we are benefiting from the author’s possible previous disasters. Nice clear instructions and loved the tip for putting the remnants of the process on the compost heap.

The fact that the dye outcome is random also appeals as I often despair that all of our clothing these days is too often a carbon copy of everyone else’s. Dying to try dyeing my old t-shirts. My carrot tops and avocado stones and skins have suddenly taken on a new significance!

 

Crafting Authentic Paper Flowers by Sophie Longhurst

Adored the introduction tip in this book – ‘My number one tip when you start paper flower making is not to rush’. Slow enjoyment of the creative process sounds amazing. I also like the fact that this book is intended as more of an inspiration rather than as an exact ‘how to” as everyone will have an individual result. However, the templates at the end of the book make this craft feel more accessible to a beginner.

Beautiful illustrations throughout and a very clear list of materials. I can’t actually believe that some of these flowers are not real! My favourites are the poppies and floribunda roses. And who knew you could make replica Rowan berries from clay?

I have ordered my materials and look forward to some slow crafting in my future…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SCENE: VICKI BEEBY ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM A NEW START FOR THE WRENS

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The first time I visited Orkney, I’d gone to visit the fascinating Neolithic sites. However, I was surprised to find other, much more recent remains – the leftovers of Orkney’s wartime heritage. Along with ancient stone circles, tombs and stone houses, I saw concrete gun emplacements and the buildings still standing in Lyness on Hoy where there had been a huge naval base. Until then I hadn’t known about the large presence of the armed forces in Orkney during the war but after that I threw myself into research. When I learned that a lot of Wrens were posted to Orkney, it fired my imagination and I started to wonder what it must have been like for the young women who left the comforts of their homes to serve in Orkney.

It was a couple of years before I was able to start my story, and one of the first decisions I had to make when planning it was whether to make the setting wholly real or if I should blend real settings with fictional ones. In the end, lockdown made up my mind for me. The research trip I’d planned had to be postponed indefinitely and yet my deadlines were fixed and looming. As I was going to have to rely on my memories of my visit, plus maps and books, it made sense to create a fictional signal station where my Wrens would be based.

In the book they are tasked with challenging and monitoring all shipping entering and leaving Hoy Sound, the entrance to Scapa Flow, which was the wartime anchorage for Britain’s Home Fleet. I made up a headland, which I called Kyeness, where the signal station would be based, placing it just outside Stromness. Now I’m writing the third book in the series, it feels like a very real place to me, up on a high headland with stunning views across Hoy Sound, with the Hoy Hills beyond.

Another fictional location is the Wrennery, the large old house where the Wrens are billeted. However, it’s located in Stromness. It’s one of my favourite places in Orkney, with its narrow, winding streets and stunning views across the harbour. In one of my favourite scenes in the book, Iris, the heroine, goes for a walk with her sweetheart while recovering from a terrifying experience the night before. The route I describe is all real, starting in Stromness, and I spent ages studying maps and Google Street View, hoping I didn’t get anything wrong. When I visited Orkney again last November, I followed the same route myself and was relieved to find I’d described the scene correctly, although with the addition of barrage balloons and warships!

‘… they walked out of Stromness on the Howe Road. The road climbed steadily until, looking back, Iris could see across Scapa Flow. The waters were now still and a clear blue, reflecting the sunlit sky. ‘It’s hard to believe it was so stormy out there last night.’ With the daffodils dancing in the breeze along the verges and even the barrage balloons gleaming in the sunshine, Iris felt the lingering fear of the night fall away. Far across the bay, she could see the faint outline of ships at anchor. At that distance, the water looked like silver, the ships set upon the surface like toys. Thoughts of yesterday’s stormy weather and those terrifying moments when she was being dragged beneath the water were fast fading like a half-remembered nightmare.’

 

 

To find out more about me and my books, please visit my website: vickibeeby.co.uk

 

 

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE: MARCH 2022 BOOK REVIEWS

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Milly Johnson’s My One True North reviewed by Carol Thomas

My One True North is a story about loss and grief on more than one level. There are predictable elements but this didn’t detract from my interest in the characters’ individual journeys.

There are many touching moments: The support group emanated a sense of care and community; Pete – the male lead – and his brother’s relationship was realistic and their love for their dad was warm and honest; I greatly enjoyed scenes at the pub where Pete and Laurie got to know each other. And I welcomed glimpses of characters from previous novels.

I hoped for a bit more to be made of the ending, especially as it had been clear where the final stage would be set from early on. It didn’t feel as wrapped up as Milly Johnson’s other stories, however, it was an enjoyable read, with likeable main characters, that tackled the difficult subject of loss well.

 

Helen Yendall’s A Wartime Secret reviewed by Imogen Martin

Maggie is an East End girl with a dangerous secret at a time of war: her beloved mother is German.

When the bank Maggie works for is relocated to a grand house in the Cotswolds, she is apprehensive about leaving. Her sister Violet has been sent to the country as an evacuee, her mother interned, and Maggie is left managing her overbearing father. Nevertheless, she is determined to do her bit for the war effort. But will Maggie be able to reach her sister? And can she find out where her mother has gone?

The novel has the style of a saga: a range of vivid characters including friends and enemies for Maggie, plots and sub-plots to be unravelled, and an underlying love story. Apparently, the move of the bank to the country is based on fact. This book is filled with authentic detail from the first page and is an addictive read. A fantastic debut novel.

 

Audrey Cowie’s Lost in Translation reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

A clever twist on the romantic comedy genre. It was wonderful to meet Charlotte and follow her new life in Switzerland with her husband and children. I adored the way the character found her voice and her identity and slowly changed. This story had me hooked from the outset because I feared the worse and wanted Charlotte to triumph. Perfect escape to Switzerland for me, and I read it very quickly. The writing style is fun and engaging – so entertaining to get inside of Charlotte’s head and hear what she thinks. There are some fantastic moments in this novel. This is an uplifting feel-good book with a satisfying ending. I loved it!

 

David Whyte’s Essentials reviewed by Morton S Gray

I have been a fan of David Whyte’s poetry ever since I saw him perform live at Ledbury Poetry Festival. It is interesting that he made such a big impact on me on that long ago evening that whenever I read his work I can hear his voice reciting the words.

The cover of this volume of poems is so tactile that I love just holding it and I savoured every page after buying a copy for both myself and one for my friend.

One of my favourite poems, ‘What to Remember when Waking’ features as an extract on the back cover and I have read and reread it so many times. The book contains many more of my other favourites, including ‘Start Close In’, ‘The Journey’, ‘Sweet Darkness’, ‘Marmeen” and ‘The House of Belonging’.

This is a lovely book and makes a wonderful gift. In my opinion, everyone should have a copy!

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SCENE: ADRIENNE CHINN ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM LOVE IN A TIME OF WAR

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In 1914 the youngest Fry sister, Etta, is thrust into the bohemian world of the Bloomsbury Group through her lover, the Italian artist Carlo Marinetti. They attend a weekend at the Sussex home of Virginia Woolf, and the conversation turns to the war.

 

Etta sits in a canvas lawn chair on the stone patio behind the house, where the group has clustered on lawn chairs amongst the roses and honeysuckle trailing over trellises … She looks over at Virginia’s husband, Leonard, and watches him make notations in a black-covered notebook in his lap.

‘Mongoose, whatever are you listing now?’ Virginia says to her husband. ‘The spoonfuls of sugar we’ve consumed in our tea?’

‘If you must know, my dear mandrill, the cost of John Teasel’s cream has gone up by three pence. I must keep abreast of these things or we shall be living in penury before you know it.’

‘We already live in penury, Mongoose.’

Virginia’s sister, Vanessa, sets down the canvas she is embroidering with roses and playing cards. ‘Why on earth are we talking about the cost of cream? War has just broken out. Why is no one talking about that?’

by Unknown photographer, vintage snapshot print, July 1915

Roger Fry spoons a dollop of strawberry jam onto a scone. ‘What is there to say, Vanessa? There will be a few skirmishes over on the Continent, exactly like what happened in the Franco–Prussian War, and everyone will be home for Christmas, which is fortunate as we shall have a fully stocked shop for the holidays.’

Etta sets her teacup down in the saucer in her lap. ‘The train station in Brighton was heaving with soldiers leaving on trains for London. I almost missed the train to Glynde because of them. They were all very jolly, like they were going off to a party, singing songs and everything.’

Virginia’s long, serious face brightens. ‘Really? What were they singing?’

‘It was all about Tipperary. Quite a jolly song.’

Leonard slams shut the notebook. ‘It’s all senseless and useless. It’s absolutely ridiculous to solve political disagreements by violent force. Italy has the right idea. Staying neutral.’

Roger brushes a crumb from his lip. ‘Hold on. Wasn’t Italy signed up with the Austrians and the Germans in the Triple Alliance before the war broke out? Shouldn’t you be on the other side, Carlo?’ He taps his lips. ‘Maybe we ought to watch what we say around you.’

Carlo leans back in the lawn chair. ‘The war in Europe is none of Italy’s, or my, affair. If anyone steps onto Italian soil, this, of course, will be another matter.’

Virginia sets down her teacup with a rattle. ‘War is just a preposterous masculine fiction. The chief occupations of men are the shedding of blood, the making of money, the giving of orders, and the wearing of uniforms. I have had quite enough of it already.’ She turns to Duncan, who is scribbling doodles in a scrapbook. ‘Duncan, tell me, who are you sleeping with this month? Anyone here?’

 

Visit the Sussex home of Virginia Woolf’s sister, artist Vanessa Bell: https://www.charleston.org.uk/

Caption for photo: L to R: Lady Ottoline Morrell, Maria Nys, Lytton Strachey, Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell at Charleston House, West Sussex. Photographer unknown.

 

 

SUNDAY SCENE: KATE RYDER ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM BENEATH CORNISH SKIES

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I’m thrilled that Beneath Cornish Skies was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel Awards 2022 in the Fantasy Romantic Novel category. By now, the winner will have been announced! It’s too hard to choose a favourite scene so I’ve chosen an extract from the prologue:

To outsiders, Cassandra Shaw’s life looks perfect but her reality is very different to people’s perceptions. Insecure and suspicious of her good-looking, charismatic, businessman boyfriend, this is a recurring dream she has.

Before me lay a thick, impenetrable forest stretching as far as the eye could see. It was dark and foreboding and I shivered with apprehension. In the distance, a firefly darted towards me through the trees and as the pinprick of light grew closer, it hovered at the edge of the woodland… beckoning. I knew I had no choice but to enter and though fearful of the unknown, I took a tentative step. Pushing aside the undergrowth, I followed the beacon of light and drifted through the foliage like a spirit, twisting and turning through the trees. As I glanced up at the dense canopy that inhibited any natural light, I found my body rising through the branches, without control over speed, until high above the forest I gazed down upon a wild, rugged landscape shrouded in darkness.

Photo credit: Nigel Kivell

     On the wind I detected a scent of the ocean and raising my eyes to the heavens, I watched dark cirrus clouds scudding across the night sky to reveal a wash of twinkling stars and planets. A halo of light surrounded the moon, its inner edge tinged red; the outer an altogether bluer hue. Gazing earthwards again, I noticed the thick tree canopy stretched for miles – like a spill of ink across the landscape. All at once I was descending and as I plunged through the roof of the forest I closed my eyes, bracing myself against the scratch and claw of twig and branch. But, unscathed, I floated gracefully to the forest floor.

It’s a landscape Cass doesn’t recognise and as the dream continues, she follows the firefly through the forest until reaching a gypsy encampment.

And then, through the flickering firelight, I saw you sitting on a log on the far side of the camp, deep in conversation with the man beside you. No one had noticed me and, moving closer, I took the opportunity to gaze at your face in wonder. You were not like the others; you shared none of their darkness. Prone to curls, your dark blond hair framed a genuine, open face that was teasingly familiar, and yet not. As your lips formed silent words I studied you: the slant of your brow; the sharp angle of your cheekbones; the shape of your nose; the tight line of your jaw. And I noticed the way your eyes crinkled when you laughed. Suddenly you smiled and I gasped, as intense, stirring sensations took hold deep in my belly.

     From out of the corner of my eye I saw a man approaching. He requested a dance but, impatiently, I brushed him away, and when I turned back you were looking directly at me. Your gaze asked a question, and for a heartbeat I stopped breathing. I no longer had the ability to drift and cautiously, as if in experiment, I placed one foot in front of the other and stepped uncertainly towards the fire. But the heat was too fierce and I glanced at you in confusion. Had I misunderstood?

      In a voice soft and tender, you encouraged me. ‘You can do it. Follow the path.’

 

Connect with Kate: https://www.facebook.com/kateryder.author

 

 

 

 

 

JANE CABLE REVIEWS TWO STUNNING WORLD WAR TWO DUAL TIMELINE ROMANCES

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I love a World War Two dual timeline novel. In fact I love them so much I’ve written one with my Eva Glyn hat on and it will be out this summer. However this article is not about me, it’s about two excellent writers who have created very different books in the genre, both out this week.

 

The Sweetheart Locket by Jen Gilroy

I love Jen Gilroy’s contemporary romances but this is her first foray into a dual timeline and I enjoyed it just as much. It was refreshing to have a modern main character who isn’t British and it brought an interesting take to the way the story was told, for example Willow’s lack of assumed knowledge about her grandmother’s World War Two story.

Her grandmother, Maggie, wasn’t British either but a Canadian who decided to stay in England to help fight the Nazi threat rather than go home, and this added an extra layer too. Her initial sense of isolation meant that she forged strong bonds and the stories of her closest friends’ wars were skilfully wound through her own, making the novel all the more compelling.

Although there are romances running through each timeline, other important relationships are explored. Willow’s difficult one with her mother Millie added depth to the story and for me it was one of the most important to be resolved, and there was a beautiful echo in Millie’s relationship with Maggie too.

The choices that the women (and men) of each generation have to make are vivid yet relatable and once I had settled into the book I found it very hard to put down.

The Sweetheart Locket is published by Orion Dash on 17th March

 

The Postcard from Italy by Angela Petch

From the moment the airman wakes and remembers nothing of who he is, I was hooked on his story and spent many happy hours wondering how on earth it could be resolved. I like that in a book; I like to be kept guessing, and wishing for the happiness of characters an author is clever enough to make me care about.

I also revelled in being lost in Italy, both in the 1940s and in the present day. Angela Petch has a fantastic knowledge of the country and that means both her settings and her research are impeccable. The wonderful descriptions of the landscape, the people, the food… it drew me in in a way that meant I could feel the sun on my back and a visit to Puglia is now definitely on my bucket list.

Every character is perfectly crafted, even those with little more than walk on parts, such as the village priest who dances the night away at a wedding. Little by little you come to know them as their stories unfold, their misunderstandings play out and ultimately the mystery of exactly how the airmen fits into both his past – and the future – is resolved.

The Postcard from Italy is published by Bookouture on 16th March

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SCENE: KATIE GINGER ON HER FAVOURITE SETTING FROM THE LITTLE LIBRARY ON CHERRY LANE

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I don’t think there’s a writer out there who doesn’t love libraries. Honestly, we just do! And it’s not just because we write books.

In an age when books are constantly pirated and stolen, borrowing books from your local library helps an author financially as we get a small payment for every book of ours loaned out (it’s currently about 10p, I think). But we also love them because we know the power of stories in bringing people together.

Books help us to feel less alone whether its diving into another world for some escapism when our own lives get rough or reading about an experience that we too have been through before, books give us a sense of connection and hope. But there’s also a lot more to them that sometimes goes unnoticed. Whatever your reading tastes or reason for visiting, libraries are crucial to our communities and my latest novel The Little Library on Cherry Lane is basically a love letter to these fabulous institutions, illustrating all the things they do aside from lending books.

Not only do stories connect with us on a personal level, but libraries bring people together. They help alleviate loneliness and give us an opportunity to connect with others. You only have to see the rise in parent and child groups, or community groups like ‘Knit and Natter’ to see how much people need to forge communities and friendship groups at a time when so much of our lives are lived online. For many older people, they are a lifeline and the only time they speak to people during the day.

In my novel, the local library in the tiny village of Meadowbank is under threat when a developer wants to buy the land and turn it into a housing development. Of course, there’s romance because that’s what I write but the setting simply had to be a library and Meadowbank library, like many others is at the heart of the village’s community.

My favourite scene comes quite early on when the new housing development is revealed to the local community, and we see the reaction of the village. There’s complete outrage from all those who love the library and even Elsie, the shy, quiet librarian can’t stop herself from speaking out (much to the chagrin of our handsome hero). She sees the value of the place for more than just the books it lends. The village is shocked by her visceral reaction but for the most part agrees wholeheartedly with her. There are of course a few people who disagree because otherwise there wouldn’t be any tension in the story!

I absolutely loved writing the back and forth between the two main characters where they’re batting away each other’s arguments. She’s surprised at herself and our handsome hero can’t help but find her attractive even though she’s trying to scupper all his plans.

If you haven’t taken a trip to your local library in a while, please do as soon as you have the chance. They’re wonderfully welcoming and I’m sure you’ll see for yourself just how many people use them to connect with others. Books are important, but so are the places that house them, and we must do everything we can to ensure that future generations get to visit these amazing places too!

 

 

If you’d like to know more about me or my books, you can find me here: www.keginger.com!

 

EVONNE WAREHAM ON HQ & HQ DIGITAL’S 2022 CRIME SHOWCASE

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Photo credit: Sian Trenberth Photography

This was a virtual glimpse at what these publishers have coming from their crime authors in 2022, giving the writers the opportunity to talk briefly about their new work.

It was a varied selection but in all cases the importance of character and location were emphasised – and as in all good crime novels there was a lot of talk about secrets.

The books were grouped to give an idea of their themes. First up was the category classed as jet set thrillers. I confess that this was the one that most appealed to me, being closest to what I like to read and write.

Ross Armstrong spoke about The Getaway – set on a private island in Greece where a multi millionaire and his entourage escape to the perfect sunshine holiday. Then someone dies. Scott Kershaw introduced his debut, The Game – five strangers drawn into a deadly contest that they don’t understand, to save the lives of their loved ones.

The next category was City Crime. Getting grittier now, two police procedurals with locations with an authentic feel in London and Yorkshire. Nadine Matheson’s The Binding Room is set in Deptford. A secret room in a church heralds a story involving a serial killer. John Barlow’s Leeds set To the Grave introduces the disturbing premise of a woman who knows she will be murdered.

For the books classed as Countryside Crime remote evocative locations were the key – isolation and unpredictable weather. In Amanda Jennings’ The Haven a self sufficient commune on Bodmin Moor appears idyllic, until things begin to unravel. Neil Lancaster’s police procedural The Blood Tide roves across Scotland from city to countryside with a story of betrayal and corruption. A debut from T Orr Munroe – who was once a CSI officer – Breakneck Point introduces a protagonist from the same profession, exiled to north Devon after exposing corruption, then encountering a serial killer that no-one else believes in.

The next category, Claustrophobic Thrillers, was definitely not for me, but it was good to see fellow Crime Cymru author Louise Mumford presenting her latest book. These stories focussed on confined settings and intense relationships. Louise’s second book The Safe House explores a reclusive mother/daughter relationship that might be one of safety or entrapment. More mothers from Helen Monks Takhar. This time, in Such a Good Mother it is the closed circle of mothers from an elite school and the new recruit who is invited to join them. Louise Hare’s Miss Aldridge Regrets takes place on a transatlantic voyage on the Queen Mary in 1936.  A nightclub singer is offered the chance of a lifetime if she travels to New York. But then comes murder.

The last category was High Concept – and these were unusual crimes. You might call them techno-thrillers. David Koepp’s Aurora is based on the Carrington Event, a geomagnetic solar storm that occurred in 1859, causing auroras in the sky and wiping out the telegraph system. Koepp’s contemporary scenario extinguishes the technology on which Earth now depends so heavily, possibly for years, and follows two characters, one prepared, one not.  The latest book from Linwood Barclay Look Both Ways is perhaps the most intriguing of all the new offerings. Unlike his regular thrillers this one, which he characterised as more like a Michael Crichton, has an island community where the self driving cars have turned homicidal and are hunting.

Plenty of exciting sounding new books here for the spring and summer, whatever your taste in crime.

 

Evonne Wareham PhD writes  romantic thrillers and a romantic comedy with a touch of crime. Her novel A Villa in Portofino was a finalist for the RNA’s Jackie Collins Award 2022.