Category Archives: Culture

SISTER SCRIBES’ READING ROUND UP: OCTOBER

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Jane

The most incredible thing about Joe Heap’s When The Music Stops is the way it mixes the ordinary with the extraordinary. In one way it’s a version of David Nicholls’ One Day, but set over a longer period (the protagonists meet in childhood) and in the world of jazz music; the parts of the book that happen in the present day are very surreal indeed.

The clever structure gives the book rhythm. It’s very much tied to the music, so rhythm seems like the right word. It makes for very long chapters (sections, really) but that’s fine, because I didn’t want to put it down. At first you wonder what’s happening in the present day but then it begins to make sense and you expect each section to have a certain chain of events. You even know what will happen in the end. But that’s comforting when the boundaries of your imagination are being stretched in other ways.

The love story running through the book is compelling too and each decade incredibly well researched so you feel each period, rather than words being wasted describing it. Ella and Robert meet as children in pre-war Glasgow and have so many near misses you wonder if they will ever get together. I would have enjoyed it on its own, and have appreciated the quality of the writing, but adding the extra dimension makes this a standout book.

Kitty

Anne O’Brien – The Queen’s Rival

I have long been fascinated with the Neville sisters and Cicely in particular so I was excited to read this book. Anne O’Brien is reliably one of my favourite writers of historical fiction and took the brave decision to write the story of Cecily through letters sent largely to family members but also to some of the major players in the turbulent story of her life, Margaret of Anjou for example, who literally held the life of Cecily’s family in her hands. This form must have been so hard to write but I really enjoyed it. It reinforced how hard life must have been without the immediacy of contact we are so used to nowadays. Writing letters to children and a husband that may or may not be alive or dead, knowing that your words could be the ones that help carry them to the scaffold. It reinforced the dangers and uncertainties of the times and all through the mouthpiece of a woman underrated for the role she and her family had to play in the development of Plantagenet England. Very well done.

Kirsten

What with publicity for Book One, final proofs of Book Two and starting to bash out the first draft of Book Three (and a fab new idea – I hope! –  for Book Four) I haven’t had much time to read this month. But one book I have finished and really enjoyed is People Like Us by Louise Fein. This is the coming of age story  – I’ve learned this month that this this can be called a Bildungsroman  – of Hetty who is brought up in a Nazi household in Leipzig in the years building up to the second war and who falls in love with a Jewish boy. It’s beautifully written and is – by turns – fascinating, poignant and heart-breaking with, I think, a lesson for the times we find ourselves in today. Highly recommended.

Interestingly, I’ve just been sent an ARC of a love story set in lockdown. It’s the first story I’ll have read with Covid-19 as a backdrop and I’m not sure how I feel about reading it. Having had quite a difficult year personally, the jury is out on whether it just too soon to read a story set in the time of Covid. I’ll keep you posted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCING SELF-STYLED ART LABOURER, ANGELA LOWETH

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When it come to my art work terms I don’t see myself as skilled worker more as a labourer!!

I paint rocks, glasses, jars and of course pictures.

All my life I have loved art – most of my work is bright and bold that is why I find acrylics so wonderful to use, the colours, you can get fine details, but also build it up to create a texture if needed., but I also enjoy pen and ink. We moved to Cornwall over 12 years ago and I find it is the landscape, sea … well basically everything around me that inspires me to paint it. Art is my passion, my escapism but also my therapy. I take my watch off, sit and paint forgetting all about time, but just being in that moment putting brush to canvas, glass or rocks.

I put my emotions and be emotional into whatever I am working on at the time.

When it comes to painting it is the sea that I turn to, trying to capture the power of the waves and in my more abstract painting it is that power trying to be tamed and utilised by man (hence the surfboards).

When it comes to pen and ink it is to nature I mainly look, trying to create reality and beauty from just one colour, but different thickness of pen.

I shall never be famous nor do I care if people don’t like my work, I do it because it’s what I love to do and what pleases me and yet when I do ask an opinion and you get that one person who finds a fault yes it hurts, especially when you have put your heart and soul into a picture and then I think to myself its only their view “it’s my work and if they should be grateful I showed it to them!! “

I am my own critic and I have may unfinished canvases to prove it, but art whatever I do, it lifts me up when I am down and helps me concentrate on being me and brightens my day when it is dark.

 

Find more of Angela’s art here: https://folksy.com/shops/angelaloweth

Redruth clocktower, pebbles and paint

The books that have changed me by Margaret Graham (aka Milly Adams and Annie Clarke)

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The books that changed me, or should I say perhaps, developed my understanding… Heavens, so many, but let me take a stab at it.

Margaret Graham, Annie Clarke, Milly Adams, books that changed me

As a child I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in which an obnoxious orphan Mary Lennox arrives to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. Archibald Craven  locked  the door leading to his wife’s beloved garden on her death. He also secreted his son, with crooked legs and back , in his own quarters for his own safety, and went about his business elsewhere, leaving the kindly servants to care for this disparate household.

The children find the secret garden, and slowly as they work within it, and  as the seasons roll on, the healing of both begins.   This book introduced me to a love of gardening, to the relentless rhythm of the seasons which has given me solace and a sense of something ‘bigger’. It grounds me.

Then as a teenager I read I Never Promised you a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg. This is the story of a  schizophrenic young woman, who spends some years receiving therapy ina residential centre. As  the young woman recovers she is devastated to realise that the world is not perfect, that happiness is not a given. That there are ups and downs, and one must find a ‘centre’. But as the psychiatrist says: I helped you heal, but I never promised a rose garden, I promised you a life.

I found this profound, and it stabilized the angst of a teenager, and was a great guide as an adult.

As an adult I was struggling to write my first novel – to navigate my way through the muddle of my thoughts, . I read Cinderella to my children one evening, and realised that it is the clearest example of the common structural form. It enabled me to write my first novel, and create almost 30 other books. It also allowed me to teach aspiring authors, perhaps the most rewarding part of my writing life, apart from editing Frost Magazine.

Basically, there is one protagonist, Cinderella, she has helpers ( mentors) and enemies (antagonists). Cinderella is on a journey, which is the plot, in order to resolved the theme, which for me was her quest to find love. Fourth must be Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe novels. Erudite, immaculately structured with characters in complete balance, and scattered with laugh-aloud humour. They freed something in me, and made me brave enough to be myself, and allow the humour I inherited from my parents free rein.

Fourth are the Reginald Hill Dalziel and Pascoe novels, beautifully structured and written, with a superb balance of characters. Erudite, fascinating, and laugh-aloud funny. They gave me the courage to allow myself to use my own sense of humour, inherited from Mum and Dad. 

Fifth and perhaps most importantly From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by award winning author Dr Kathleen Thompson

Dr Thompson is ‘the doctor who knows’ what it is to face the chilling cancer diagnosis, and then find your way through the maze of information and treatment. The book is set out in an extraordinarily accessible way for the patient, and also for those like me who have friends with this  illness,  it gives me a way of helping, of listening, of supporting. It is life enhancing, and invaluable.

If I can sneak in a sixth, The Variety Girls series by Tracy Baines made me realise I should have been on the stage, not stuck in a study writing. You see, I could have ‘hoofed’ with the best of them, and hugged the spotlight, and showed off, and my mum would have been shocked, then proud, as I received a standing ovation – just me, not the rest of the chorus, of course. Ah, well, I can dream.

 

A POEM A DAY DURING LOCKDOWN IS NOW A PUBLISHED COLLECTION

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Guest article by gatepost poet Liv Mulligan about her debut collection

I certainly never imagined that lockdown would turn me into a ‘published poet.’ In April 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, my mother suggested that I write a poem each day inspired by the self isolation. She suggested that we then display each day’s poem at the end of the drive on the gatepost for passers by to read. “It might make people smile,” she said.

I agreed to the challenge because, let’s be honest, what else was I doing? I had already re-arranged my sock drawer three times that week and it was only Tuesday. Or was it Wednesday? Anyway, I didn’t have a good enough excuse to not agree. I decided to leave a phone number for people to text in suggestions for topics for the following day’s poem, so the whole village could feel part of the project too.

I then took on the ‘Daily Poem’ task quite literally as that, ‘a task.’ Something to do to fill the time.

However, as the days went by and as the collection grew, it has become so much more than that. Writing these poems became the highlight of my day. And hearing from the residents of the village, many who I had never spoken to before, telling me how much joy they receive from reading them – I owe both my mother and the 2020 lockdown experience a huge thank you.

The book, Poems On The Gate Post is now available in paperback, hardcover and ebook.

One of my spoken word poems, ‘The Lockdown Conversation’ was aired nationally on BBC iPlayer at their 2020 Upload Festival.

The Yorkshire Village Doctor

If I were a doctor
I’d prescribe packs of Yorkshire tea
Safe and suitable for all
It’s like the Master Key

Unlocking a sense of comfort
As your hands snuggle the mug
Unlocking an inner joy
As you sip, slurp or chug

I’d start you off with Yorkshire
With a splash of milk
The colour of a Werther’s Original
Tasting as smooth as silk

But not as expensive as silk:
Works out about three pence a bag
Cheaper than other prescriptions
And cheaper than a fag

You can use it recreationally too
When you want to impress a friend
Pressure’s on though. Make it good.
A bad brew will certainly offend

Once you become a regular
You might like to try the hard stuff
Maybe Green? Mint? Or Ginger?
Or Rooibos if you’re really tough

You might be reliant on tea now
Temporarily, your freedom is gone
But take it easy, take a breath
And stick the kettle on

I wonder…

I wonder if I wander there alone
Unknown eyes will stare, watch to harshly judge
Judge my feet on the public paths of stone
Sharp eyes reflect my purpose as I trudge

Heaving my lockdown legs up hills I’m free
Blood moves to circulate and rinse the doubt
But car-park eyes they’ll soon latch onto me
Cold critique of my Covid whereabouts

I too critique the man with watching eyes
My rambling thoughts will question his desire
Our woodland wishes watered down with whys
With bitter thoughts of others we conspire

I long for pine tree shadows without shame
Perhaps my unknown stranger feels the same

 

The book is currently stocked in White Rose Book shop (Thirsk), The Little Ripon Bookshop and Minskip Farm Shop. If you’re not about in North Yorkshire, it can be purchased from most online bookstores.

You can keep up to date with Liv’s poetry antics and spoken word videos on Facebook: Olivia Mulligan Poetry

 

 

SISTER SCRIBES: SUSANNA BAVIN ON CREATING A SENSE OF TIME

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In my previous article for Frost, I celebrated two novels, A Mother’s Secret and The Italian House, which are notable for their wonderful sense of place. In these stories, the authors, respectively Jan Baynham and Teresa Crane, created their settings so evocatively that they produced books of the type that make readers say, ‘It made me feel I was there.’

This time, I’m writing about novels that have a particular depth and interest thanks to the attention paid to the historical detail. Part of the authors’ skill in this is the way each of them has woven the details into the narrative with a deft touch. Their historical details are never popped in just for the sake of it, but always to enrich the story.

The first book is A Borrowed Past by Juliette Lawson, a clever and increasingly intriguing family mystery set in the Victorian era. A strong narrative is combined with  believable dialogue and a lively mixture of characters, not all of whom are what they seem. Add to this the many tiny details of life at the time and the result is an engrossing read.

Of one historical aspect of the book, Juliette says: “ Class distinctions were strong. Well-off families paid pew rents to reserve their seats in church (you can still see the brass name-card holders) and ran the Local Board to keep the village well-ordered. Children in poorer families were sent into service at a young age or they became mini-entrepreneurs, doing little jobs around the village for a few coins: blowing the bellows for the church organ, delivering meat for the butcher, carrying pails of sea water to the bath houses for visitors to bathe in, or baiting hooks on fishing trips.”

The other book I’ve chosen is the utterly wonderful The Gunpowder Girl (which was originally published as Cherrybrook Rose and A Bouquet of Thorns) by Tania Crosse. This book could just as easily have appeared in my previous blog about stories with a strong sense of place, but it also has its position here, thanks to the author’s characteristic attention to research. Tania Crosse has created an absorbing story laced with powerful themes, a relatable heroine and a gripping plot.

Tania says: “The rugged, savage beauty of Dartmoor is inspirational enough in itself, but its secret history has provided the basis for so many of my novels. In the case of The Gunpowder Girl, the discovery of the ruins of the 19th century Cherrybrook Gunpowder Mills drove me to write a story to illustrate what it would have been like for a beautiful, intelligent young woman to live at this remote, unforgiving location. The other element in the book, still very much in evidence and currently still in use, are the forbidding buildings of Dartmoor Prison. In Victorian times, life there could be hell, not just for the inmates – some of whom were guilty of what today would be considered relatively minor offences – but also for the prison warders and their families who were forced to live in the isolated and exposed prison settlement of Princetown.”

Both of these books drew me into their world. The stories are page-turners in which the characters face secrets and tragedy and both Juliette and Tania have have sprinkled historical details into their narratives in such a way as to make their books come alive.

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCING CORNISH CUBIST, SIMON SMITH

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‘It is the desire to represent the world not as we see it, but the way it actually is’, is the driving force behind this Cornishman’s work. A native of Porthtowan on the wind swept Cornish granite coast, Simon Smith is essentially a modern day cubist. He’s a former Truro Schoolboy (the posh school) and a carries, amongst other qualifications, a degree in fine art – mentored by the great Welsh painter and printmaker David Carpanini.

After a successful career in business Simon essentially retired back home to Cornwall by buying and running a pub, and most importantly returning to his first love of art. “The iconic mining ruins of the heritage coast lend themselves perfectly to the painter,” he says, “with the endless sweeping sky and rolling ocean as the perfect partner”. His home and pub, in Porthtowan, are situated just a dozen miles up the coast from the iconic artist centre of St Ives and the hub of Cornish creativity.

 

But why cubism? “I love to draw and financially speaking I gain a steady little income from my pointillist drawings of local sea life and fauna but, as rewarding as they are to complete, they don’t push the limits. Cubism on the other hand gives me the opportunity to push my limits to the maximum and really work at representing the 4th dimension of time.” And time is clearly important to him in his work with one beautiful triptych showing the not only a cubist sea/cliff scape but also the changing seasons from Spring to Autumn.

So what next? “I’m exploring the classic Analytic Cubist phase of Braque and Picasso and love the limited palette. My musician friends are keen for portraits so watch this space….”

 

See more of Simon’s paintings at https://www.facebook.com/Porthtowanfinearts

 

Helene Fermont – My Writing Process

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Helene FermontMy Writing Routine
 This is my favourite topic!
 I’ve written about it in newsletters and blogs.
 Essentially, I don’t work like a majority of authors.
 For a start, I can’t work in public places as the noise would
 disrupt me. As a practising psychologist, my writing happens
 every chance I get between patient consultations, meetings
 and conferences. I write weekends, early mornings prior to work,
 evenings, nights and during holidays. In fact, I’ve not had a break
 for a very long time. I enjoy my line of work very much but writing
 is my passion. Both fit well together as my day job perfectly fit with
 my genre, Character Driven Psychological Thrillers With A Noir Edge.
 My writing routine:
 Irrelevant of when I work on a book, I always work at my desk in my home
 or work office. No disruptions, calls, messages, nothing except what I focus
on there and then. I read through what I’ve written the last time to get a sense
structure, sequence and, most importantly, a feel for the characters and storyline.
Without a flow and prose, points of views and being part of the scenes and dialogues,
my characters wouldn’t come across as intended.
I write in long stretches, so for ex if writing early mornings and late evenings
and weekends and holidays, I always work for at least four to five hours after
which I have a break, an hour’s walk to clear my mind, playing with my cat, Teddy,
who faithfully sits next to me in his old wooden box or in a favourite chair.
I continue working on my book/books for at least another four to five hours,
edit that day’s work and make notes on what to work on, improve and much more
prior to the next writing session. I write biographies of all characters, their interaction,
similarities and differences. My characters drive the storyline so must be satisfied
they come across as real people, relatable and identifiable.
The Swedish part of me is very organised, structured and self disciplined. All of it
helps to keep me ahead of deadlines and time to return to parts of the storyline
and plot that require more attention. You’d be right thinking my characters take
some time to create, develop further and the storyline evolves around them.
It’s the reason I prefer to write a synopsis later, usually when mid through the novel.
Because only then will I know exactly what outcome and tie up loose ends.

I’m Anglo Swedish, my birth place is Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city.

 I’ve been a performing musical artist when younger, come from a very cosmopolitan
 family and background, British and Swedish parents. I’m bilingual and so far lived
 longer in the U.K. than my native Sweden. I love writing every chance I get,
 love my day job and all the wonderful people I get to meet and counsel.
 I love animals and sports, couldn’t imagine a life without literature and am a ferocious
 reader, mainly of my own genre, as well as cross reading.
 I enjoy long conversations, travelling, lots of getting togethers over Fika ( coffee breaks ) In lovely cafes, parks and beaches, the spectacular scenery and nature in Malmö
 and similar places in London.
 I communicate well with all kinds of people, carry a notebook when out and about
 even on the bedside table in case I come up with new ideas for characters and stories
 when asleep! Characters come to me when I least expect it, and premises for
 new storylines. I’ve so far never suffered with writer’s block and have many books
 just waiting to be written in the foreseeable future. I make notes of new casts
 of characters and novels, short stories and blogs. I enjoy socialising with special
 people, friends and family, eating and cooking are favourite pastimes.
 I’m very grounded, extremely communicative and a good listener.
 Quite simply; I love life and have a positive outlook and attitude.
What you have written, past and present.

So far, I’ve written five books. Because Of You, We Never Said Goodbye,

 His Guilty Secret, and One Fatal Night which was published recently.
 I’ve also written a short story collection, Who’s Sorry Now?
 I’m working on my next psychological thriller, The Matchmaker.
What you are promoting now.

One Fatal Night, set in Norway with an explosive plot, protagonists

and many twists and turns.
Do you plan or just write?

I work to a brief plan, write the first couple of drafts and edit after I’ve finished

 the novel after which I and my editor collaborate on the editing process.
 My writing’s very intuitive, the characters come first so must feel the storyline
 works for and with them or I’ll change the story while still keeping the initial premise.

What about word count?

I don’t worry about that as long as everything fits with what I intended.

 My debut novel’s word count is over 140000 words, the others between
 50-100.000.

How do you do your structure?

I know exactly the sequence of what must follow each chapter.

 So no detailed synopsis until mid through the novel, but a very clear
 and detailed content for each chapter and, of course, much emphasis
 on my characters.

What do you find hard about writing?

Getting the inspiration when I’m tired after a long day’s work.

 The isolation of working on my own with no one to discuss ideas with.
 Apart from that, writing comes natural to me since I’m very used to working
 without company and quite enjoy it. Living with my characters!

What do you love about writing?

The progress when getting the characters and storylines just right.

 Feeling my characters emotions, being there in the scene with them,
 and excitement when the story turns out just like I planned and intended.
 Significantly, holding the book and feeling a sense of pride I Did it!
 Getting positive feedback and comments from my readers mean the world to me.

Advice for other writers.
 Always write what you want and what comes natural to you.
 Don’t follow trends and Never copy other authors.
 Your voice and uniqueness are what truly makes you special.
  I never read when writing my books and stories for fear others work
  will influence me subconsciously.
  Having a positive attitude helps a lot too! Oh, and patience!

SISTER SCRIBES GUEST: JEN GILROY ON FINDING YOUR WRITING VOICE

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Since Susanna Bavin introduced Canadian romance author Jen Gilroy to us at a Romantic Novelists’ Association conference she has been an honorary Sister Scribe and it’s an absolute delight to welcome her to Frost.

One of the questions I’m often asked when giving talks about writing relates to ‘voice’ and, specifically, how to find it.

For some writers, voice is instinctive. If you’re one of those fortunate people, this post likely isn’t for you!

However, for many others (me included) finding your ‘voice’ isn’t so straightforward.

First off, what is ‘voice?’

For me, it’s what makes one author’s fiction distinctive from that of another. At a superficial level, it relates to word choice, syntax and the mechanics of constructing a story.

Going deeper, though, voice reflects each author’s personal experience—the constellation of factors that make them who they are—as distinctive as their fingerprint.

A tip to identify voice?

Choose books by three favourite authors, set them side-by-side and consider the first few pages. Even if they write in the same genre, it’s likely that in only those early pages you’ll identify major differences in how the writer tells the story and makes you feel.

Those differences are rooted in voice and some authors have such distinctive voices that fans can often identify their work in only a short paragraph—without knowing the book’s title or author.

However, even if you know what ‘voice’ is and can identify it in other writers, how do you find yours?

For me, finding my voice was part of my writing apprenticeship and (as with many other parts of learning the craft) necessitated trial and error.

In the beginning, I sampled genres a bit like food at a tapas bar. From literary fiction through to young adult, historical and more, I tried writing in a number of different areas.

Yet, and like delicious tapas morsels, only one or two genres resonated enough for me to think I’d truly found my own ‘author voice.’

What does ‘voice’ feel like?

I liken my ‘voice’ to wearing my favourite pair of cosy slippers as I snuggle under a blanket by the fire on a cold winter night.

That ‘voice’ is drawn from the innermost part of myself and means I delve into emotions only I feel to express them on the page.

At first, that self-reflection was scary. With career in corporate and technical writing, I was so used to adopting a ‘corporate voice’ that I’d lost my own, and I’d also lost touch with the emotions that are the foundation of fiction.

Yet, with practice and patience—and by reading and writing widely—I dug deep enough to get to that comfortable state of knowing when I was writing in my voice—and when I figured that out, the genres were obvious.

Long before I became a writer, romance and women’s fiction were the genres I read for hope, comfort, escape and more. Not surprisingly, those were also the books that fit my voice and when I started to write from the foundation of who I truly am, the words flowed.

Although finding my voice was one of the most difficult parts of my writing journey, it was also the most rewarding. And, perhaps most importantly, writing with the warmth and intuition that comes from the core of who I am is the most honest gift I can give.

 

Jen Gilroy writes romance and uplifting women’s fiction with happy, hopeful endings. She’s a wife and mum who calls England and Canada home and her latest release, A Wish in Irish Falls, is out now on Kindle (free with Kindle Unlimited).

Connect with Jen via her website: www.jengilroy.com