Category Archives: Culture

An Orphan’s Christmas by Katie Flynn

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An_Orphan's_ Christmas_ Katie_Flynn

 

Katie Flynn’s latest novel will no doubt be eagerly awaited by her many fans.  Molly Penelope Hardwick is abandoned and living in Haisborough Orphanage in Liverpool. She befriends another orphan, Lenny Smith and together they sneak out to roam the streets of Liverpool.  Flynn gives the reader a gentle insight into life in the orphanage, the rules and regulations, the deprivation and hardship that is met with stoicism and humour. Even though the sun was blazing away outside I was soon swept into the chill winter of 1936.

Molly is feisty and curious and before long runs into trouble. When she is forced to leave the orphanage Lenny has no idea of where she has gone. When war is declared Lenny signs up with the RAF and soon forgets about his childhood pal, turning his focus to fighting the war from the skies.

Molly is desperate to join the war effort and with her sights set on joining the WAAF chances are they will see each other again.

Katie Flynn is the UK’s biggest selling saga author, with every novel a top ten best seller. This is likely to do exactly the same.  It’s a warm, feel-good novel, a story that races along leaving you wondering whether the two friends will meet and if they do, will love be in the air? A relaxing, easy read, with lots of twists and turns, lively characters and enough detail to give a flavour of wartime without slowing the story down. A welcome in many a Christmas stocking for sure.

Published by Century on August 25th

Hardback £20.00

Also available in ebook

www.katieflynn.com

BEST ENDEAVOURS: what happens once that digital publishing deal is in the bag

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janecablepublishingagreementThe first in a series of blogs about what happens once that digital publishing deal is in the bag!

BEST FRIENDS

If you write, it’s a moment you dream of – the moment you learn that a publisher wants to buy your book. There’ll be champagne, fireworks, violins playing sweet music… Actually – when it happened to me – I didn’t believe it.

I read the email my agent, Felicity Trew, sent about three times and then she called me. I don’t remember much about the conversation to be honest. Then I went downstairs, told my husband, and drove into town to do some last minute pre-holiday chores.

It was only as I walked from the car park that the news began to hit home. Just fifteen short months earlier I would have been straight on the phone to my mother, always the biggest supporter of my work, but who could I share the excitement with now she’s gone? Who would understand? Another writer, that’s who; someone who’d been on the same journey – someone who was a good friend I could rely on to keep quiet. Even though she actually screamed when I told her: “Jane – oh my god – that’s amaaaaaaazing!”

janecablepublishingdealblog

Bookish bestie and blogger Becky Edwards (walkingnormally.blogspot.co.uk) is the person who’s kept me sane during the two months it took for the contract to be finalised and signed. You need someone to do that. I kept thinking it was all some terrible joke and that Endeavour would change their mind. Every delay… even when the final contract got lost in the post… was agony. But it’s over now: the contract is signed and I can go public.

Part of going public involves writing this blog. Endeavour is one of the new breed of UK digital publishers and must be the biggest in the game, bringing out 25 new titles each week. This deal isn’t going to be like working with one of the ‘traditional’ houses – there will be no waiting a year or more for a book to appear – things are going to happen fast and furiously from here on in.

Digital is a route that many authors seeking publication will be looking to take and so this blog will not only be of interest to the reading public but also to other writers. The intention is to share the reality of the hard graft, sweat, and maybe even tears along the way as I embark on the latest phase of my writing career. I want it to be useful; I want people to comment and ask questions. I also want to give Becky a break!

Jane Cable is the author of two independently published romantic suspense novels, The Cheesemaker’s House and The Faerie Tree, and a sporadic contributor to Frost. Find out more at www.janecable.com.

 

 

 

There’s a treat on the way for ballet lovers

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ballet, cultureShakespeare has been delivered to cinema screens, and now it is to be ballet  but for 3 nights only.  One of Frost’s book reviewers, Jan Speedie will be heading the queue, as she LOVES ballet.

CinemaLive, one of the market leaders in Event Cinema, will be working in a partnership with The Australian Ballet to deliver a series of their ballet productions to cinema audiences for the very first time.

The Fairy Tale Series, will be screened in cinemas across the UK on three nights only: The Sleeping Beauty on 4th October 2016, Cinderella on 23rd November 2016 and Coppélia on 19th April 2017.

Screened in October 2016 will be the world premiere cinema release of Artistic Director David McAllister’s The Sleeping Beauty. This is a classical retelling of a favourite fairy tale based on Marius Petipa’s ballet. The live production of The Sleeping Beauty was the crowning moment of The Australian Ballet’s season last year. The Guardian said of it:

With such attention to detail – resplendent, unapologetic, and coupled with McAllister’s resounding belief in a happy ending – only the most cynical of hearts could fail to be captured by this Sleeping Beauty’s spell

 

Next is the award-winning production of Cinderella, which will play a limited exclusive London season at the Coliseum this July, before its world premiere to cinema audiences on 23rd November 2016.

The third and final production in this series is Coppélia which will have its world premiere in cinemas on 19th April 2017.

David McAllister, Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet says, It’s exciting to take our company and performances from the stage to the big screen and to reach audiences we may not have otherwise reached. This is an incredible opportunity to showcase Australia’s national ballet company.

The Fairy Tale Series will be screened at approximately 200 cinemas across the UK and a further 200 cinemas worldwide.
For all participating cinemas and to book tickets visit www.cinemalive.com

 

 

FOLK, ROOTS AND BLUES AT SAGE GATESHEAD

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Frost just loves The Sage, at Gateshead. Well, we love the area and all it has to offer full stop.

So here is the autumn programme, should anyone be in the area, or even feel like heading up to catch some of the folk, roots and blues from both sides of the Atlantic.

September kicks off with The Colin Holt Band and Snake Davis returning off the back of their sold out show last year. Next up is Anderson East, a huge hit at SummerTyne Americana Festival 2015. Loudon Wainwright III is joined by Chaim Tenenbaum on 24 October to add that extra Americana feel as well as songs that are heart-warming, hilarious, intensely personal, and indefinably ingenious. Adding a Canadian take on American roots are the multi-award-winning Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys serve up old-time music.

The Black Crowes’ excellent guitarist Luther Dickinson makes an exclusive appearance in the North East on his Blues and Ballads UK Tour, while the bluesy Tony Joe White gets you down and dirty with his swampy, Cajun tinged guitar. Returning to Sage Two is Ryan McGarvey. His heavy but blistering blues guitar is already turning heads and you can witness him for yourself on 8 October. Walter Trout and the legendary Robin Trower, see to it that we are not left short of superb talent and excellent songs.

The Sage’s  Folkworks programme will sort folk-lovers out, but will also satisfy those with a thirst for inventiveness and alternative spirit. Martin Green, brings together Becky Unthank, Adrian Utley from Portishead and Mogwai’s Dominic Aitchison, to present Flit. A show which he is taking to Edinburgh Fringe and that also includes BAFTA-winning animators whiterobot (Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson).

Fay Field and The Hurricane Party along with The Furrow Collective represent a new wave of folk talent. They have both already gained big fans and in The Furrow Collective’s case been nominated for BBC Folk awards. At the other end of the scale Ashley Hutchings of Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and Albion Band brings a show which spans his entire career and demonstrates his influence on generations after him. Also returning are the North East’s own Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell with The Lindisfarne Story.

2015 Folk Singer of the Year Nancy Kerr and her Sweet Visitor Band perform in Sage Two in September and later in the month she is joined by ‘English folk original’ Robb Johnson who is touring his new album A Reasonable History of Impossible Demands. Not to be outdone, BBC Radio 2 folk award nominated Ange Hardy and Lukas Drinkwater show you why they are two of this generations most in-demand performers with their live shows accented with Ange’s innovative and subtle use ofloop pedals to build layers of vocal harmony. Karen Matheson, meanwhile, adds a welcome Celtic connection to September as she showcases her impressive vocals.

To find out more about these gigs or make a booking visit www.sagegateshead.com or call Ticket Office on 0191 443 4661.

 

How about a look behind the scenes? By Margaret Graham

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How about a look behind the scenes? By Margaret GrahamHave you ever dawdled past imposing buildings and wanted to have a peek inside? Well, forget the peek,how about a real look, behind the scenes?

National Trust will be offering free exclusive, behind-the-scenes tours of the Danish, French and Portuguese embassies in London, as part of their Europe & Us programme.

The strictly limited openings, as part of Heritage Open days, will offer a unique glimpse into the inner sanctums of diplomacy. They will allow visitors insights into how these important government buildings are used to allow envoys to entertain while promoting their countries’ interests to the ‘Court of St James’.  Visitors will get to explore these fascinating buildings on guided tours and view the furniture and decorative art that reflects each nation.

On show, for example, will be the principal rooms of the French Ambassador’s Residence in Kensington Palace Gardens (‘Billionaire’s Row’), Arne Jacobsen’s modernist 1970s Danish Embassy and Residence on Sloane Street and the palatial home of the Portuguese Ambassador in Belgrave Square.

National Trust Creative Director Ivo Dawnay comments, In this year when our relationship with Europe has been front and centre of our thoughts, the National Trust is running a programme, dubbed ‘Europe & Us’, that seeks to gain insights into our long relationship with the continent.

The weekend-long event is part of Heritage Open Days, England’s annual festival of history that involves 5,000 events and 40,000 volunteers in a long-weekend of access to special places of historical interest.

The tours, which are free, are strictly limited in number and will be ticketed on a first-come-first- served basis. For security reasons applicants will be asked to apply with their full names, addresses and contact details and will be admitted only with photo ID.

Tickets are available by application at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/embassy-openings.

French Embassy: 11 Kensington Palace Gardens, Kensington, W8 4QP Friday .

9th September – 14:30, 16:30. Saturday 10th September – 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 15 people per tour
 Duration. 50 minutes

Danish Embassy: 55 Sloane Street, SW1X 9SR

Saturday 10th September – 11:00, 13:30, 15:30. 30 people per tour
. Duration – 1 hour 15 minutes

Portuguese Embassy: 12 Belgrave Square, Belgravia, SW1X 8PM

Friday 9th September – 10:00, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00 15 people per tour
. Duration – 1 hour

@nationaltrust, @NTLovesLondon

 

 

An interview with Liza Lutz – Bestselling author of The Passenger and The Spellman Files

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An interview with Liza Lutz – bestselling author of The Passenger and The Spellman Files – amongst others.              by Margaret Graham

An interview with Liza Lutz - bestselling author of The Passenger and The Spellman Files - amongst others. by Margaret Graham

What made you interested in writing?

I can’t pinpoint a particular realization or event. I guess it comes down to just being interested in people. And then once I discovered that writing could make my world funnier and more interesting, I was pretty much doomed.

Did you find it easy to become published?

In a way, yes. But in another, much more accurate way, not at all. I wrote screenplays for a decade until a friend suggested that I try rewriting one of them, The Spellman Files, as a novel. I did that and sent it to a bunch of agents. One of them saw its potential. Plenty of work ensued, but once I’d revised the draft, the road to publication was relatively short.

If you hadn’t become a writer, what else would you have liked to do?

Brain surgeon.

What is your writing process?

It’s mostly just sitting down and doing the work. I think I have some structural instincts that allow me to come up with an outline pretty quickly once I have a basic idea. I always end up veering away from it, but having that guide helps me avoid the staring-into-the-void thing that plagues a lot of writers. I save staring into the void for my free time.

thepassengerbylisalutzbookinterviewauthor

As well as The Passenger, which Frost recently reviewed, you have written the bestselling series The Spellman Files. Does another series appeal?

Not at the moment. I’m embracing the freedom of being able to tell whatever story I want to tell. Each of my last few books has been a big departure from the previous one, and that seems to suit me well.

What are the problems, and virtues of writing a series? 

One problem with a series is that the more successful it becomes, the more tempting it is to write what you think your audience wants to read. If I’m not writing something I would want to read, things are going to get stale for everyone pretty quickly. The chief virtue is that you can get to know characters to a degree that’s impossible in a standalone book. It’s like having multiple seasons of a TV show instead of an hour-and-a-half-long movie.

What do you like to do when not writing?

Read, watch movies, teach seniors Krav Maga.

You have won the Alex award and been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel, so what’s next?

I’m writing a novel that’s totally different from anything I’ve done before. But I’m not ready to talk about it yet.
The Passenger by Lisa Lutz: Titan books. Paperback and ebook.

 

 

 

Sweet Tomorrows By Debbie Macombe Reviewed by Jan Speedie

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Sweet Tomorrows By Debbie Macombe Reviewed by Jan Speedie ,book reviews, Followers of Debbie Macomber’s stories of life at Rose Harbor Inn will be disappointed to learn that this is the fifth and final book in the series. Debbie has new projects she wants to do so sadly she must say goodbye to Cedar Cove and the people who live there.

Three years ago Jo Marie took over running the Rose Harbor Inn following the death of her husband.  Jo Marie has formed a close relationship with Mark Taylor but Mark had to go back to Iraq to complete a dangerous and difficult mission for the Army.  It is a year since Mark left Cedar Cove and there has been no news of him; Jo Marie’s heart is in turmoil should she wait and hope for his safe return or move on with her life.

Following a second failed relationship Emily Gaffney comes to stay at Rose Harbor Inn with the intention of finding a new home, starting her new job and absolutely no involvement with men.   Emily and Jo Marie form a close friendship and help each other through the difficult times life brings. Can the Rose Harbour Inn work its magic?

A delightful summer read just right for those lazy days on your holidays.

Debbie Macomber is one of today’s bestselling authors with more than 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide.  She has also produced two cookery books and two books for children.  In 2013 the Cedar Cove series successfully debuted on US cable TV.  Apart from her writing Debbie is also spokesperson for World Visions ‘Knit for Kids’ charity initiative.  Debbie and her husband Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington and winter in Florida.

Published by Arrow in paperback on 11th August 2016 – £5.99

 

 

 

Ruby Slippers – by Tracy Baines Reviewed by Margaret Graham

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Ruby Slippers – by Tracy Baines Reviewed by Margaret Graham short stories reading, writing, booksTracy Baines has put together a collection of short stories previously published in Woman’s Weekly, My Weekly, Take A Break, Best and People’s Friend.

 

It is fascinating to read short stories written for women friendly magazines, stories that explore the everyday relationships of families, couples and friends.

 

This collection is filled with realistically imagined characters coping with life’s rich pattern, sometimes with aplomb, sometimes almost in spite of themselves, but always with humour and courage. I suppose that’s much as we all do, and this is the key to this collection, because Tracy Baines has a great understanding of women. To this end she has created real worlds with a few strokes of her pen.

 

Baines is such an expert at her craft that she hits the nail on the head for each one of her readers. Indeed, she has real understanding of the women’s magazine market, so much so that the short stories seem to flow effortlessly onto the page, solving the problem for the main character. But not just solving the problems of the main character, but through these stories she brings some sort of clarity to the muddle of our own lives. I said earlier, ‘effortlessly’ but bet it isn’t, because writing is a craft, and it takes time and  application to achieve this level of expertise.

 

Tracy Baines has got this expertise, in spades. Read Ruby Slippers and enjoy.

 

Whether you are a reader or a writer, do note that Tracy will be tutoring a Short Story workshop on September 25th 2016 at High Wycombe – so maybe attend and see behind the scenes of short story writing.

 

Writers’ Short Story Workshop: www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

 

 

Her book will be available there, or find it on Amazon.co.uk

 

www.tracybaines.co.uk