Tag Archives: Caroline James

WRITERS ON THE ROAD: CAROLINE JAMES

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Meet Venus. My writing retreat on wheels.

“Come and write in me!” Venus whispered when I reluctantly went to view her. I’d never had any desire to be a caravaner. It suggested too much Hi-de-Hi! But from the day I met Venus last summer, it was love at first sight.

She’s a big twin-axle unit and, combined with the car, as long as an articulated lorry. Spacious with bedroom, bathroom, kitchen-diner and lounge.

Our first few forays into caravanning were in the UK as we took in the delights of Wales and Northumberland, with only minor mishaps with awnings and wrong turnings. I could write in the peace of the countryside or overlooking a beach. Venus has few demands. There’s minimum cleaning and washing and no gardening – no distractions to stop me from writing.

Now we felt prepared for an overseas adventure. Unlike a motorhome, travelling with a large caravan needs plenty of planning. Would we get stuck in the Eurotunnel? Would our ‘BipandGo’ get us through tolls in each country automatically? Would the pitches be big enough for Venus? The list of checks was long. But most significantly, would all the travelling distract from my writing?

Leaving in mid-December to head south through France, the adventure began, and I was too distracted to write as the days progressed. We enjoyed many stop-offs along the way, including Christmas shopping in Lyon and being frozen to the bone in Beziers during the coldest temperatures for years. But once over the border to Spain, the weather warmed up, and we eventually settled for several weeks on the coast, south of Alicante. Now Venus became our Spanish home, and she adapted beautifully. The awning was up, the canopy open, and wine poured. With a novel to finish and perfect, the peace and tranquillity of my writing environment was a writer’s dream, and the words flowed. Distractions from our European neighbours were pleasant. Bonjour! Guten Morgen! They called out and encouraged me to write.

Travelling around Spain sparked many plot ideas. I know that I will have future characters enjoying the mud baths at Lo Pagan on the Costa Blanca and visiting the eclectic rastro market in Calpe or taking in the rich history of Alicante. With so many festivals to enjoy too, I made prolific notes as I planned the outline of a novel.

Heading home, we took a different route. Driving across Spain via Madrid, I saw how beautiful and rich the country is as we encountered miles of orange groves and vineyards. Every town and village seemed to have a castle built precariously high on a hill, or a medieval church tucked around a corner. Approaching the Pyrenees, bathed in glorious sunshine, the view was magnificent, and I didn’t give the drive a second thought.

But now, I know how to write about fear.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped to sub-zero, and driving snow became a blinding blizzard as darkness fell. Venus is a heavy vehicle, and as we drove along the top of mountains with nowhere to shelter and a hundred miles to go, I thought I was going to die. Look out for a scene in a future novel when the terrified characters disappear into a wintery Spanish night – the story will write itself!

Our next trip will avoid the mountains in winter.

Happy travels everyone!

With love,

Caroline

 

Out now – THE CRUISE

 

JANE CABLE REVIEWS APRIL’S NEW RELEASES

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The Forgotten Palace by Alexandra Walsh

A dual timeline based around Arthur Evans’ archaeological digs at Knossos on Crete, this book has an incredible sense of place, time and history. The heat and the dust from the excavations rise up from the page as the Victorian characters scrape in the earth and wash dirt from shards of pot.

In 1900 Alice departs on a grand tour of Europe accompanying her aunt and young nephews. She is heartbroken and in terrible disgrace, so her kindly family have sent her away to recover. In the present day timeline Eloise leaves for Crete on the day of her husband’s funeral wearing a red dress and red shoes. It’s clear she is glad he has gone – but why?

The book is packed full of history, myth, and dreams, with italicised sections which could be either of the latter, almost making it a triple timeline. But having read Alexandra Walsh’s other books I was not expecting this to be a simple love story and it is anything but.

A final word: don’t let the cast list at the front put you off – it really isn’t needed as all the main characters are so memorable.

 

The Cruise by Caroline James

I am not a great reader of romantic comedy, but I really enjoy Caroline James’ books. Not just because the protagonists are ladies in their sixties having a fabulous time, but because everything about them and their adventures is so beautifully observed and the pathos and humour eased out.

In The Cruise three single friends (one widowed, one almost divorced and the other resolutely single) decide to head to the Caribbean for Christmas. I loved the descriptions of the islands and it was wonderful to be back in a Barbados I recognised, albeit through the pages of a book. Anne, Jane and Kath, and the supporting cast of characters are bound to make you smile, so book your cabin now.

 

A Village in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd and Angelika Patel

I don’t often review non-fiction but I loved the premise of this book; to follow the life of a single village in Germany from the end of the First World War, and all through the Second.

It did not disappoint, and I would say it is essential reading for anyone interested in the era. It brings the human stories of the inhabitants of Oberstdorf in the Bavarian Alps to the fore, while setting them firmly in their social and political context. Whether dipping in and out, or reading from cover to cover, this in an exceptional history and meticulously researched.

 

The Girl Who Escaped by Angela Petch

This book is Angela Petch at her best, with a purely historical narrative set in her beloved Italy during the Second World War. It’s a gripping tale that explores the plight of the Jewish community as fascism tightened its hold on the country, and the efforts of the Italian resistance to return their nation to the tolerant society it once had been.

The Girl Who Escaped follows the stories of not only Italian Jew Devora, but her schoolfriends Luigi, a clandestine partisan, and Rico who may or may not be a collaborator. Their stories unfold and entwine, with Devora always centre stage as the world she has known crumbles around her when fascism begins to bite.

It’s an incredibly well researched book, so rich in detail that it absolutely transported me to Urbino during the Second World War, to circumstances that were at times so painful it was hard to read on. But, heart in mouth, I persevered, because I just had to know what happened. And that is the mark of a truly great storyteller.

CARIADS’ CHOICE: MAY 2022 BOOK REVIEWS

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K T Dady’s Lemon Drop Cottage reviewed by Carol Thomas

This is the first book by K T Dady that I have read and, therefore, my first visit to Pepper Bay. As each book in the series is standalone, this didn’t spoil my understanding of the story.

I enjoyed meeting Scott and Dolly and spending time in this close, friendly community as their feelings developed. Dolly’s son, Dexter, is a great character who shone through; it was nice to see a teenage boy represented in a positive, caring way. There is an interesting sub-plot with the local retirement home being under threat and a good cast of secondary characters – I liked Giles, who has a close link to Scott and his secretive past. Having visited the Isle of Wight, I enjoyed the setting. Overall, this is a warm-hearted novel full of kind, caring characters who will make you smile.

 

Vicki Beeby’s A New Start for the Wrens reviewed by Morton S Gray

Loved this book! I binge read it as I wanted to know what would happen. The three main female characters Iris, Mary and Sally are all so easy to relate to and care about, as is Rob. Love the glimpses of Orkney and the poignant history. Cottoned on to the baddie early on and kept shouting warnings at my Kindle lol. Loved Vicki Beeby’s Ops Room Girls series and was worried this might not be as good but it is! Can’t wait for the next instalment in this series.

 

Rosemary Noble’s Sadie’s Wars reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

I have been idle for two days and it is Rosemary Noble’s fault. I travelled from innocence to experience with her character, Sadie.  She had my ear as soon as I walked into this thrilling family saga.  This hard-hitting, realistic document of challenging times deals with: propaganda, inequality, domestic violence and loss. Insight into Australia and England placed me in the centre of the historical periods.

Strategic juxtaposition of Sadie’s life during World War One Australia and World War Two Grimsby is brilliant.  Noble explores how our experiences make us react in the future thus providing depth to Sadie’s character.  Wounded by past troubles, Sadie makes decisions that made me want to sit her down and give her advice.  Tempting questions hang artfully in each chapter of this novel. Noble shows the inequalities between men and woman at the turn of the century and contrasts it with changing attitudes in post Second World War Britain.  Historical events, attitudes and politics are artfully woven into the narrative fabric of the novel. Noble explores love so beautifully in the novel.

An intelligent, powerful and deeply moving novel from Rosemary Noble.

 

Caroline James’s The Spa Break reviewed by Jane Cable

How marvellous to have a book about four women in their sixties going away on a girls’ weekend. It happens in real life quite a lot (some young people would be amazed to hear), but rarely between the pages of a book, and frankly I’d like more of it.

Caroline James’ characters are brilliant; fully rounded, far from perfect and never, ever, falling into the trap of being stereotyped. Each of the four women has their own story to tell, their own future to grab hold of and change, and it seems that a spa break is the best place to do it.

This is a gorgeously warm, witty book and I would totally recommend it as a feelgood weekend or holiday read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY SCENE: CAROLINE JAMES ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM THE SPA BREAK

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In May 2021, I received a message on Twitter from a publisher asking if I would be interested in a potential project. At first, I thought it was spam. After all, publishers rarely approach an author. But over the next few days, I realised that the enquiry was genuine. Could I write about a spa break where four mature friends experience a life-changing weekend? You bet I could! I love writing about older protagonists making exciting life changes. As the saying goes, ‘You are as old as you feel.’

The novel is set in summer in Lancashire, the county where I live, close to an area called the Trough of Bowland, which is classed as an area of outstanding natural beauty. There are hills covered in heather and magnificent views as far as the eye can see. With vast rocky fields to roam over, sheep graze idly and a river meanders alongside a remote twisting road. The water is clear, cool and always inviting and nearby picnic areas are abundant.

I began wild-water swimming later in life, and this area is ideal, with many pools and safe bathing places. One of my favourite scenes from The Spa Break finds the characters swimming in a river. As the friends Bridgette, Emily, Marjory, and Serena came to life, their wacky escapades at the spa began to fill the page and encouraged them to go out of their comfort zone. I imagined scenes where they bravely explored new possibilities, sometimes reluctantly.

In this scene, before arriving at the spa, the friends stop by the river for a coffee break. Unwilling Bridgette is encouraged to swim by the wild-water swimmer, Serena.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Serena asked and took hold of their hands. ‘One, two, three… swim!’ She tugged hard and plunged them into the water. Submerged to their shoulders and gasping at the cold, within seconds, the women were swimming. Cheers resounded from the riverbank as the bikers whistled and clapped.

  ‘Hang on! Wait for me!’ a voice suddenly called out.

  Everyone turned to see Bridgette, her short elf-like body running across the grass. With spontaneous applause, they took in the sight of her skirted swimsuit. The thin fabric of a generous sarong, knotted at her wide waist, billowed around her chubby legs. A rubber cap, red with colourful flowers, covered her hair and on her feet she wore a pair of latex bootees.

  ‘Bridgette!’ Serena yelled and, rising like a salmon leaping upstream, reached Bridgette’s side. ‘You made it.’ She laughed and leaned down, guiding her in.

  ‘I’m coming out of my comfort zone!’ Bridgette shrieked as she dipped into the water and, with furious strokes, began to paddle towards Emily and Marjory.

What is wild water swimming? It is swimming in a river, lake, pond, the sea – anywhere where the water is untamed. If you’ve never tried swimming outdoors, I can highly recommend this type of swimming. After the initial shock to the body, it is blissful to be at one with nature. As your breathing slows down, an exhilarating experience takes over. It is the perfect anecdote to the frustration and bewilderment of current world events. Reading novels may also help us recharge our batteries and escape into a fantasy world,  bringing light relief when needed.

I thank Frost Magazine for this opportunity and reiterate Bridgette’s words, ‘May you be blessed with friendships as solid and cherished as my own.’

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE: DECEMBER BOOK REVIEWS

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Caroline James’ Coffee Tea the Gypsy and Me, reviewed by Jane Cable

From heartbreak to hilarity Caroline James’ debut novel shows just what a great writer she’d become. The characters, village and hotel are fabulously drawn and I really enjoyed it.

When Jo’s husband runs off with the au pair it takes her a while to haul herself back on her feet, but when she does, boy does she do it with 1980’s style! Her outer transformation happens first, with the inner Jo following as she renovates and opens a boutique hotel, dodges the local slime-balls and despite adversity and genuine heartbreak makes a go of it.

It’s an amusing retro romp I really enjoyed.

 

Clare Huston’s Art and Soul, reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

Wonderful story to chase away the winter blues.

This novel wrapped itself around me like a cosy blanket and took me to Becky and Charlie’s world. Becky, a life coach, is employed to fix the life of an artist called Charlie. Becky is kind and witty, and Charlie is the perfect brooding hero. This is a great premise for a dream narrative that tempted me into the characters’ lives. I loved Ronnie and the gorgeous cakes at Sweet’s. The friendship between Ronnie and Becky is so real and both characters are entertaining. But Becky’s observations about the characters are astute and made me giggle throughout. At one point she talks about someone’s ‘pompous glee so perfect it nearly melted her forehead’. Who wouldn’t want a friend like Becky? She is feisty, fun and can fix things. And you need to meet Charlie to discover his charm. An interesting observation on the dynamics of the modern family.

An entertaining romance!

 

Lauren Groff’s Matrix, reviewed by Kitty Wilson

A beautifully written story chronicling the imagined life of Marie de France who was banished to an impoverished abbey as a teenager. We follow Marie as she grows into a confident and authoritative woman who transforms the fortune of the abbey and the lives of the women she lives with. A powerful novel that examines gender expectations and roles in twelfth century Europe with all the dangers and pitfalls that accompanied life at the time. This novel is masterful, evocative and immersive, a powerful story of being female in the late Middle Ages. Highly recommended and I am excited to reread it.

 

Janice Preston’s The Penniless Debutante, reviewed by Morton Gray

Aurelia Croome is almost destitute when she inherits a fortune, but there are strings attached to her inheritance, because the terms of the will forbid her from marrying the new Lord Tregowan. This doesn’t seem to be a problem on the face of it, but when she begins to socialise in London, the man she’s attracted to is no other than Maximilian Penrose—the new Lord Tregowan!

I devoured this book from the first page. I loved the fact that I had already read the stories of Aurelia’s half-sisters in the previous two books in the Lady Tregowan’s Will series – The Rags-To-Riches Governess and The Cinderella Heiress.

I devoured this book from the first page. Perfect escapism from a troubled world, I kept sneaking off to read more and I really think I should be kept on a constant diet of Janice Preston books, apart from the fact that I would get nothing done. Trademark Preston oh la la sensual scene and a great story. More please.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MULTI-TALENTED WOMEN’S FICTION AUTHOR CAROLINE JAMES ON MENTORING

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I first started writing eight years ago and one of the biggest things that hit me was how lonely a business I’d chosen. Sitting on your own, hour after hour, day after day, was the most isolating thing I had ever done. I had a very busy time in my ‘other working life’ with lots of travel and constant client meetings. Motivating myself to work alone wasn’t easy, combined with internal fears that anything I wrote wouldn’t be good enough and no one would want to read it. It took me a year to write my first novel and as many authors know, the task of submitting with high hopes and expectation soon becomes humiliation. The manuscript was rejected by agents and publishers time after time.

In those days self-publishing was very new to me and I had to learn fast. It became the life-line that ultimately connected me to the publishing world. But I still found it a lonely experience in cyber space. How I longed to be part of publishing a team with meetings, mentoring and lunches and all the fun that other authors seemed to be experiencing once they’d signed that golden contract and committed to a book deal.

Sitting on your bum feeling sorry for yourself achieves nothing, as my mother always told me, so I decided to do something about it. My debut novel had done surprisingly well and reached #3 in women’s fiction on Amazon. This gave me confidence to contact other authors in my area via social media. We set up a group and met every month and the kindness and help I found there was like being wrapped in a warm writing blanket. My life changed and I moved away but I consider two of those authors as very close friends and we still meet to help each other.

The years have moved on and several novels later I am now both traditionally and self-published and during this time I have mentored other authors, who like me in the beginning, hadn’t a clue where to start. Little did I know the huge importance of for example, editing or of having a social media profile and the zillion things that a savvy author in 2020 needs to get a grip of.

It began with a couple of authors, through Facebook, asking for advice. The hand-holding process began and it felt good to be able to give something back and watch the blossoming process develop as they realised their writing dream and ultimately produced their very own novel. Now, I have put together a group of other like-minded writing professionals who want to give something back and through a small business community we mentor, motivate and give of our time to help authors who are in the very same position that I naively found myself in when I first started writing. It does surprise me that with all the information freely available on the internet that this is something that is in demand. But I know how it feels to be on your own, wondering if you are good enough to write and if you can trust your instincts. Having a comforting virtual hand on your shoulder saying, ‘Yes, you can and this is how you can do it,’ is a very empowering process and I am hugely humbled to be in a position where I can offer help to anyone who asks and has the determination to achieve their writing dream.

 

Find out more about Caroline at https://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk/

 

 

My Writing Process – Caroline James

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I am proud to have author Caroline James be the first writer to be part of our new series. How I Write gives readers, and other writers, an insight into the minds of writers. Not only how they think, but how they work. Enjoy. Catherine Balavage, Editor-in-Chief. 

I always wanted to write from a very early age, but never thought that I was good enough. A few weeks short of my sixteenth birthday, much to my parents’ horror, I left school, and also home, to work in Cornwall, doing anything from pot-washing to waitressing. In that time, I realised that I loved the hospitality industry and if I couldn’t write, I would work hard and one day have my own business. Fast forward several years and I achieved that dream. After catering college and working for a large hotel group in London and abroad, I eventually owned a pub and then a country house hotel. When I sold the hotel, I became an agent representing celebrity chefs. It was a fabulous career but still I wanted to write and decided that I wouldn’t die wondering and pinned my bum to a chair to write my first book.

Five books on and I am currently writing my sixth. The first was self-published and to my amazement, went to number three in women’s fiction on Amazon. My writing dream had come true. Two of my titles are current Amazon best-sellers and my dream of writing full-time has been achieved.

I am currently writing a follow-up to The Best Boomerville Hotel for my publisher, Ruby Fiction. I am a speaker too and give talks on various subjects including entertaining speeches for large events, such as a guest speaker on cruise ships and at various literature festivals. I write food related articles for various magazines and promote my work through social media and my website.

What is your process?

I like to write early in the morning before the rest of my world wakes up. I never find the process easy; I have to force myself each day, onto a chair and in front of my laptop. I’ve always found the writing process hard, but on occasion it has moments of relief when I simply can’t stop and may write solidly for several days. But that’s rare.

Do you plan or just write?

I always try to plan a novel before I begin the writing process, but the characters usually take over and want to do their own things. I think a framework is a good writing tool, so that there is a beginning, middle and end, however you get there.

What about word count?

Some days it may be 200 words others 3,000. It all depends on what writing demands I have. I may be writing an article or doing social media and blog posts for a client, so I have to fit novel writing in when I can.

What do you find hard about writing?

I find it hard to make myself get on with it. I envy the disciplined author who sets out a target each day and achieves it. I found it easier to write when I was working full-time running a business and had many other family demands. That old saying, ‘If you want something doing, ask a busy person,’ is certainly true for me. Since I decided to take a leap of faith and write full-time, I find it much more difficult to actually write a novel.

What do you love about writing? 

The freedom to write about anything at all. The freedom to express myself. The freedom to live my writing dream. I love to be able to empower other writers and, in any way, possible and pay it forward. I love that I am living my writing dream.

Advice for other writers.

Just get on with it. Don’t waste years wondering. Glue your rear to a chair and get going, write and write and write – no matter what. You will find your muse when you least expect it.

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk      https://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

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