Tag Archives: Morton Gray

CARIADS’ CHOICE: MAY BOOK REVIEWS

Posted on by

Jan Baynham’s Her Mother’s Secret, reviewed by Judith Barrow

Her Mother’s Secret is set against the background of the Greek island of Péfka during different eras; 1969 and 2011. Two time frames linked by the two main characters, Alexandra and her mother, Elin; connected through time, by the diary that Alexandra finds after her mother’s death.

Elin and Alexandra are complex, well-rounded characters; very much of their time. Although never together in any scenes, the love they have for each other is threaded throughout the story. And the author has ensured that the reader becomes engrossed in these characters by intertwining their stories with a cast of believable minor characters.

The portrayals of the settings give an evocative sense of place.

There are many themes: of love, relationships, mystery, crime, secrets and friendships, woven to give a good balance of romance with a believable darker side of life.

Her Mother’s Secret is a novel I recommend to readers who enjoys a story grounded in the Romance genre but reveals itself to be so much more.

 

Angela Petch’s The Tuscan House, reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

A story about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people during World War Two. The colours and culture of Italy are scarred with the horrors of war, and I was transported to war torn Italy by this clever, sensory writer.

Fosca’s resilience and resourcefulness impressed me.  She recounts the bravery of women resistance fighters (partigiani) who took unthinkable risks, but never boasts about her own wonderful courage. Petch creates wonderfully real characters who involve you in their emotional journeys and you witness them change.  Fosca shares the wisdom she had learned throughout.

Tuscan House is also crammed with action sequences and a wonderful secret. This complex world is presented effortlessly and explores love, motherhood, friendship and courage.

Another gripping novel from this writer. This novel is so much more than another story of a Tuscan house and I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read the next book.

 

Kate Field’s Finding Home, reviewed by Morton Gray

Loved this book and the concept that a chance encounter can lead to a whole new way of life. I related to Mim and her wounded soul. The story made me long to be at the seaside again and to find out more about fossil hunting. The characters are well drawn and the hero, Corin very attractive on the page. I even worried about the dog! I’ve loved all of Kate Field’s books and this was no exception. More please …

 

Suzanne Fortin’s The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger, reviewed by Carol Thomas

When I saw this book’s gorgeous front cover I knew I wanted to read it. From the very start, I was drawn into Arthur Pettinger’s life, a man in his nineties struggling with his memory as dementia is increasingly taking hold.

I adored Arthur, who has led an incredible life, including his SOE role in the war. His granddaughter, Maddy, and great-granddaughter, Esther, were lovely, supportive characters. Their warmth towards Arthur, compassion and understanding was touching.

The dual timeline that runs through the book, revealing snippets of Arthur’s life and love in WWII occupied France, had me turning the pages, as did the present-day search for Maryse (his past love).

The story is one of emotional highs and lows, love and loss. The ending is beautifully written, albeit that it had me sobbing. I loved this emotional, heartfelt read as much as I did Arthur, but I would advise having tissues at the ready.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARIADS’ CHOICE: BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL BOOK REVIEWS

Posted on by

Lizzie Lamb’s Harper’s Highland Fling, reviewed by Jessie Cahalin

Harper expected to travel to Tibet on her holiday adventure, but her niece decided to run away to Scotland with the son of the local car mechanic. Witty, feisty headmistress, Harper, meets her match and is forced to squeeze into biker’s leathers to travel with Rocco to Scotland.

‘At least she hadn’t fallen off the motorbike…or clung to him like a medieval maiden slung across a knight’s errant saddle.’

Forget Nepal, Harper must save Ariel, or does Harper really need to save herself? The novel is packed with expectation, and stereotypes of a headmistress and car mechanic are challenged as we get to know and love the characters – perfect.

Rocco is not about to save the feisty maiden but ‘without meaning to she’d got under his skin and he couldn’t resist winding her up.’ On the other hand, Harper thinks Rocco is ‘an enigma wrapped in a conundrum.’

 

Maggie Mason’s The Halfpenny Girls, reviewed by Susanna Bavin

What I loved about this book, and what made it, for me, a stand-out saga, was the concentration on family life. Sagas often revolve around the work-place, but this pre-war story is firmly rooted in the hardships faced by three close friends because of their family circumstances. Violence, alcoholism, betrayal and dementia are all woven into the tale – alongside love, loyalty and the determination of the three young heroines to do their very best for their nearest and dearest, despite every hardship. There are no easy answers to the problems each family faces – just a wealth of warmth and understanding from an accomplished author. This is a complex story with strong, cleverly interwoven plots; well-drawn, multi-layered characters; and, above all, a powerful sense of the importance of family.

 

Faith Hogan’s The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club, reviewed by Morton Gray

Loved this book on so many different levels – the characters and the challenges they face. I didn’t think I would like the book being written from so many different points of view, but it was seamless and added to the story. He doesn’t even feature in the novel, but I wanted to bop Elizabeth’s late husband on the nose, especially towards the end of the book. I was praying for Lucy’s son, Niall to make the right choices, shed tears over Jo and Dan. I want to go and stay in Dan’s rented house on the hill and take part in the Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club. Great book and I’m off to find the author’s other stories.

 

Helga Jensen’s Twice in a Lifetime, reviewed by Natalie Normann

This book is pure enjoyment from start to finish.

Amelia is the mother of twin boys, recently divorced and mostly a sensible woman. She struggles  with how her life has turned out. When Amelia finds the phone number of a gorgeous man she met in New York years earlier, her best friend Sian starts looking for him. And despite all of Amelia’s attempts to hold back, she soon finds herself in a huge mess. It’s hilarious!

This book got me through tax season, by providing a wonderful distraction and lots of laughs. Amelia is such a lovely person who tries so hard, you can’t help falling in love with her. There are twists that I didn’t see coming, and I loved the surprises. All I wanted was for it not to end! Helga Jensen knows how to tell a good story that stands out in the crowd. It’s right there on my top romcoms list now. That’s a five stars from me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – NOVELIST MORTON GRAY

Posted on by

What was the first piece of writing advice you were ever given?

When I first began to write I attended a weekly writing course run by author Sue Johnson in the lovely town of Pershore in Worcestershire. Sue gave us a variety of writing prompts each week, such as poems, pictures, leaves, random objects, word lists and such like. Then she’d give up a time limit in which to write something. The idea was just to relax and see what appeared on the page from the stimulus of the prompt. I still use this technique to get started with stories, or if I’m stuck in the middle of a book. I am very grateful that this early training enables me to write quickly if I need to.

 

What was the most recent piece of writing advice you received or gave?

I went on an editing course recently and was advised to highlight the different points of view in my manuscript using different colours. The idea being that the distribution of the colour throughout the manuscript enables you to see if the balance between each characters’ points of view is even. This is an invaluable tip, as often I get fixated on one character’s view point and this enables me to present a balanced piece of work.

 

What piece of advice (writing or otherwise) would you like to pass on?

Oh dear … it is difficult to stick to one, so I’m going for three!

  1. It is never too late to begin to write.
  2. You should always stay true to your own work and not worry about what others are writing.
  3. Writing is such a solitary occupation that it is important to find fellow writers to speak to and share with, be that online or in real life.

 

Morton has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition. She is now writing a series of novels based in her fictional seaside town of Borteen. Her second novel The Truth Lies Buried is to be followed by Christmas at Borteen Bay out on 13 November 2018.

 

You can catch up with Morton on her website www.mortonsgray.com on

Twitter – @MortonSGray, her Facebook page – Morton S. Gray Author – https://www.facebook.com/mortonsgray/ and

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/morton_s_gray/