Category Archives: Culture

Warm Winter Reads for Saga Lovers

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Here’s another selection of sagas that might find their way onto your bookcase this winter. Lovely stories with winter settings and a Christmas flavour in each of them.

 

A Precious Gift by Rosie Goodwin

Nuneaton 1911

The latest book in the Days of the Week series – Friday’s Child is Loving and Giving.

Holly Farthing has lived with her widowed mother and overbearing grandfather since she was a small child. When she reaches eighteen her Grandfather tries to marry her off to a widower twice her age. When she refuses he withdraws all support and she flees to London with her maid Ivy, her only friend.

Once there, Holly searches for the father she’s never met and begins nurse training in the local hospital. There she meets the dashing Doctor Parkin and falls in love.  When he proposes, Holly finally feels she will at last find the happiness she craves -until she discovers some shocking news that means they can never be together.

Heartbroken, she throws herself into supporting the war effort and heads to France, volunteering on the front line.

Encompassing the turbulence of the suffragette movement and the Great War, Rosie Goodwin’s fans will not be disappointed.

Published by Zaffre Hardback £12.99

A Winter Hope by Sheila Newberry

Life is looking good for the Hope family as they move into Number Five Kitchener Avenue in 1932. Fred’s wife, Miriam is expecting their first child and Fred has a secure job as a civil servant. Her sister Doreen 14, has a job at Woolies and welcomes the move along with her new sense of independence. But war is on the horizon and these happy carefree days can’t last.

A window on the world of the Hope family as they and they neighbours adjust to turbulent times.

A warm, cosy read, perfect for the long winter nights.

Zaffre Paperback £7.99. Also available in eBook

 

 

A Woman’s War by S Block

Great Paxford, November 1940

If you’re a fan of the TV series Home Fires and wondered what happened after the last episode you’ll find out here.

All the familiar characters appear as life in Great Paxford moves on.

As enemy planes bombard the North West of England, the members of the WI fight harder than ever to do their bit.

Teresa Lucas her reshaped her life to become the perfect wife but the arrival of a new guest threatens all she holds dear.

Laura Campbell is grieving her father. Can she find the confidence to embrace a new future?

Pat Simms plans to escape her difficult life with Bob at the end of the war but when things change at home she begins to question everything she thought she knew.

And farmer, Steph Farrow wonders whether she can live with what she has done.

Zaffre Paperback £6.99. Also available in eBook

 

SISTER SCRIBES GUEST: CLARE FLYNN ON THE BENEFITS OF A CRITIQUE GROUP

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I’m delighted to welcome Clare Flynn as my guest. Clare is the author of ten historical novels and a short story collection, and we met over dinner on the opening night of my first ever RNA conference a couple of years ago. Today, she sharing her thoughts on the benefits of critique groups for writers.

Soon after leaving London for the beautiful South Downs and Sussex coast, I had the good fortune to come across two fellow members of organisations I’m in – the Romantic Novelists Association and the Historical Novel Society. One is an author and the other an editor with authorial aspirations, both Eastbourne residents. We decided to set up a critique group and subsequently two more authors have joined our posse. We five now meet every Friday afternoon at a seafront hotel.

Our aim is to offer mutual support and encouragement, share tips on marketing and publishing, and most of all to give constructive criticism of our work. None of us wanted to do workshop style exercises, as apart from the editor we are all published – two of us hybrid, one indie and one trade. What we all have in common is the desire for a sounding board and some tough love during the writing process.

A few days before our weekly meeting, we email each other the extracts we want to review, usually a chapter of around 2,000 words so we get a chance to read them all at leisure. Everyone prints off a copy of each submission annotated with comments and brings it to the session.

We used to read the work aloud but it became too time-consuming and we have so much else to talk about. Instead, we take each submission in turn, with each person offering their comments. The criticism is always constructive and now we know each other well we don’t pull our punches. All of us share a desire to help each other produce the best work possible.

We have had short stories as well as extracts from works in progress. We use the approach of Adopt/ Adapt/ Reject, although most of the feedback makes eminent sense and is mostly acted upon.

Some examples of changes made as a result of feedback in these sessions:

  • Inconsistencies of character,
  • Lack of tempo and pace
  • Anachronisms and clichés etc
  • Details such as titles, uniforms and spotting costume gaffes
  • Metaphors that don’t work or take one out of the story
  • Making awkward sentences flow
  • Avoiding repetition
  • Spelling and grammar
  • Identifying a character going to sit down when they were already seated (it happens so easily!)

Not everyone submits an extract every time if they don’t happen to have a piece ready to review, but the weekly meetings act as a spur to getting the next chapter ready.

The group has been going now for nearly four years. Thirteen published novels have emerged so far from our sessions. This early input identifies any major issues before the final draft is released to the editor, agent and beta readers.

We meet in one of the public lounges and I often wonder what unsuspecting hotel guests think when passing by as we respectable looking women of a certain age hotly debate the choreography of a sex scene or the best way to kill someone off.

There’s always plenty to talk about as well as the work. We share publishing news, marketing ideas, gossip and plans for attending conferences and industry parties. It’s a very supportive and encouraging group.

The writer’s life is by definition a solitary one for much of the time, so having a weekly gathering to share triumphs and setbacks is an absolute godsend.

 

Clare Flynn is the author of ten historical novels and a short story collection. Her latest novel, The Pearl of Penang, set in Malaya in 1939 through to the end of the war with Japan, is now available for pre-order.

Website http://www.clareflynn.co.uk

Twitter – https://twitter.com/clarefly

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorclareflynn

 

Heroes On The Home Front By Annie Clarke Book Review

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Annie Clarke, heroes on the home frontHeroes On The Home Front By Annie Clarke. 

I love Annie Clarke. Not many people can do what she does. She writes with real heart and soul, transporting you straight into 1941. She writes of a time that should never be forgotten and brings her characters to life so beautifully. Heroes on The Home Front is the second in the series by this stunning writer. This is the perfect book for Autumn, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, put your feet up and enjoy the next few hours. I hope this series makes its way onto TV. It would make the perfect Sunday television show.

Yes, Annie Clarke does write for Frost, but she is a master at her craft. her novels are researched within an inch of their lives and have real heart and soul. Just perfect. I cannot wait for the next instalment.

December 1941, North East England: It takes courage to risk your life every day.

Despite the recent loss of her father, Sarah is settling well into her new role at the munitions factory. Her blossoming romance with pitman Stan is a welcome distraction from the dangerous working conditions. But a shocking revelation is about to put everything on the line.

Meanwhile Fran is desperately missing her sweetheart Davey, who has been conscripted to work at Bletchley Park. Beth is longing for someone too – and it’s not her husband on the front line…

As the factory girls face hardship on the home front, they will discover that the heroes they need are already by their side.

Available here.

Book Ideas for all the Family

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My stress levels are starting to soar. I’m already fed up of the Christmas adverts and it’s only the beginning of November. It’s not the day itself that I find stressful it’s the thought of choosing gifts – will I give something to be cherished or something to be sent to the charity shop in January? Can you go wrong with a book? I hope not.

This small selection is published by Chronicle books and has eased my worries already. I don’t think the books can be categorised as ‘For Mum, Dad, boy girl’ etc. All of them are interesting in their own right, beautifully illustrated and perfect to leave on the coffee table.

Tartine –  A Classic Revisited – Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson
This beautifully rephotographed book is an updated edition of a classic for home and professional bakers―from one of the most acclaimed and inspiring bakeries in the world – Tartine in San Francisco. Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson  have updated old recipes for new tastes and added 68 new ones – including their famous morning bun (a sweet roll made with croissant dough and filled with orange-scented cinnamon sugar).

60 favourites from the original book have been revamped to suit today’s tastes which include 30 wholegrain and/or gluten free recipes.

The photographs are mouth-wateringly beautiful and if you can’t make the journey to San Francisco at least you can create the flavours for yourself.

Chronicle Books £29.00

The Hollywood Book Club by Stephen Rea

Packed full of Movie Stars – Spencer Tracy, Marilyn Monroe, Lana Turner, Marlon Brando and many more. The stars are captured either on or off set, curled up with a book,  reading to their children – or Ziegfeld Girls balancing them on their heads.

Featuring nearly 60 enchanting black and white images, lively captions about the stars and what they’re reading by Hollywood photo archivist Steven Rea. A great gift for booklovers and film fans. The perfect book to settle down with and savour.

Chronicle Books £11.99

All Hail the Queen

Twenty Women Who Ruled  – Illustrated by Jenifer Orkin Lewis, written by Shweta Jha

Twenty real life stories of women who ruled – some were rulers by birth, others by marriage but all led lives of adventure and individuality. There are women we’ve perhaps all heard of – Marie Antoinette, Queen Victoria, Elizabeth 1st, Catherine the Great – and others we may not – Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt, Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra, and Lady Six Sky, Maya Queen of Naranjo. Women of strength and power  who lived in times when women did not have equal status to men.

Beautifully illustrated by Jennifer Orkin Lewis it’s a  jewel of a book. A delight on the eye.

Chronicle Books £13.99

The Hike by Alison Farrell

A delightfully illustrated story of friendship and adventure. Three little girls and their dog set off for a hike through the woods with a map – no GPS here! The children hike through the forest and up to the top of the mountain before heading home as the sun begins to set and the stars appear.

This spirited picture book covers the best and worst of any hike: from picnics to puffing and panting, deer-sighting to detours. Featuring a glossary, a sketchbook by one of the characters, abundant labels throughout, it’s a book for budding adventurers.

Chronicle Books £12.99

Perfect Books For The Christmas Season

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The Runaway , Hollie Overton

The Runaway By Hollie Overton 

You can tell the writer put her heart and soul into this book. It is an outstanding thriller. It leaves you holding your breathe until the very last page.

Available here.

An introduction to poetry

Poetry. A Very Short Introduction By Bernard O’Donoghue.

Perfect for writers and poetry fans. Entertaining and educational: it gives a perfect overview of poetry. Bernard O’Donoghue also ask what poetry is and what is is for. Riveting.

Available here.

Milli Hill Give Birth like a feminist

Give Birth Like a Feminist By Milli Hill.

This book is perfect for any expecting parent. It is even a good read for those who are not. Give Birth Like a Feminist is an important read from a pioneer in pregnancy and birth. Milli Hill founded The Positive Birth Movement and her work in the field has progressed women’s right by years. She also allowed me to publish one of her birth stories in my book, Women on Childbirth. She is the best kind of woman: a woman who support other women and fights for them too. A must buy.

Available here.

Andy Martin With Child

With Child By Andy Martin

Andy Martin spent a year with Lee Child. With Child is the diary of these adventures. I found this fascinating as a writer myself. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Jack Reacher. A great book.

Available here.

Designer babies

Designing Babies By Robert L. Klitzman, MD.

This book is absolutely fascinating. In-depth research mixed with personal stories creates a perfect book on the subject of designing babies. Fertility, infertility, genetics…. This book covers the medical science of making babies. it does so with a human heart. What is right and what is wrong? Robert Klitzman is a brilliant and eloquent writer.

Available here.

The Children's forest

The Children’s Forest.

The Children’s Forest is the perfect book for children and parents. This book has a lot of fun activities to get your child in touch with nature. This book is a celebration of nature and, in my opinion, is essential for children to get them outdoors and learning more about nature. For ages 3-12, it has games, songs, recipes and animal, tree and plant lore. This excellent book offers hours of fun for children and parents.

Available here.

what snowflakes get right

What Snowflakes Get Right By Ulrich Baer.

This brilliant book is thought-provoking and brilliantly written. Snowflakes get a bad wrap but this in-depth and passionate analysis should be read by everyone. Great stuff.

Available here.

the writer's creative workbook

The Writer’s Creative Workbook By Joy Kenward. Illustrated By Ruth Allen. 

This is a brilliant book for the writer in your life. Even the most advanced writers will find this helps get things flowing again.

Available here.

One more lie Amy lloyd

One More Lie by Amy Lloyd. 

This is a stunning thriller. Full of suspense and atmosphere: you will not want to put it down. It also has a quote from Frost Magazine writer Annie Clarke who is a fan.

Available here.

Abbey Clancey I'll be home for Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas By Abbey Clancy.

I do not know how she manages it: as well as being gorgeous, working as a model and TV Presenter and raising four children Abbey Clancy has written this amazing book. I loved it from the first page. The characters are so vivid and the story is a glam, glitzy read that entertains right to the end. I LOVE this book.

Available here.

a mrs miracle christmas debbie macomber

A Mrs Miracle Christmas By Debbie Macomber. 

This is the perfect Christmas book. It is a warm book that is a perfect example of romantic fiction. Perfect for an evening snuggling with some hot cocoa.

Available here.

rebel dogs heroic tales of trusty hounds

Rebel Dogs By Kimberlie Hamilton. 

This book is perfect for dog lovers. Fun and well-written, it makes you happy.

Available here.

Annie Clarke, heroes on the home front

Heroes On The Home Front By Annie Clarke. 

The second in the series by this stunning writer. Yes, she does write for Frost, but she is a master at her craft. her novels are researched within an inch of their lives and have real heart and soul. Just perfect.

Available here.

a quaint and curious volume

A Quaint and Curious Volume. Introduction By Sarah Perry.

An interesting and original volume. Perfect for fans of the gothic. You can read all the way through or dip in and out. A really great book.

Available here.

the oceans between us

The Oceans Between Us By Gill Thompson.

This is a truly beautiful story of triumph, loss and a mother’s love. It will touch your heart and soul. Wonderful.

Available here.

nightingale wedding bells

Nightingale Wedding Bells By Donna Douglas. 

The eleventh book in the series. Another heart-warming story that is perfect for Christmas.

Available here.

Simon's cat it's a dog's life

Simon’s Cat It’s a Dog’s Life By Simon Tofield. 

Hard to believe it is the 10th anniversary. The much-loved cat is back in this hilarious book. Love it.

Available here.

something to tell you David Edwards

Something To Tell You By David Edwards. 

This is a great, if terrifying, book. Perfect for fans of science-fiction, fantasy or thrillers. A perfect combination of fiction and out-there science. A clever book and a great read.

Available here.

raw spirit in search of the perfect dram

Raw Spirit By Iain Banks.

Perfect for fans of a wee dram. Banks explores the rich history of Scottish Whisky. It has a new introduction from Ian Rankin.

Available here.

Criss Cross by James Patterson

This top secret book arrived. What was it? Oh just the new Alex Cross book, Criss Cross By James Patterson. It is brilliant, of course. But then it always is. Out on the 14th November.

And now for some shameless self-promotion. I have books on acting, blogging, poetry, childbirth and wedding planning. They are all great for Christmas presents obviously. Nudge nudge, wink wink.

 

What books would you recommend?

SISTER SCRIBES’ READING ROUND UP: OCTOBER

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Kirsten:

I haven’t been reading very much lately – I’ve been wrestling with proposals and second drafts and teenagers – but one book I have read and very much enjoyed is Bonnie and Stan by Anna Stuart.  It’s a story of mature love and the premise is that after over 50 years together, Stan – who still adores his wife – starts dating again.

In a dual time-line. Bonnie and Stan met during the Swinging Sixties, to the soundtrack of The Beatles and the Merseybeat scene. Bonnie’s the only woman on her architecture course and Stan is in a band. This bit is great fun –music and fashion and energy and sex and working out which one of the band members will end being Stan because they all have nicknames.

In the present day, the two have grown old together, had children and grandchildren. This bit happens at the beginning so I’m not giving anything away but Stan has cancer and is running out of time, and can’t bear the thought of leaving Bonnie on her own so, with his teenage granddaughter Greya, he sets out find Bonnie a new love. And it must remain a secret …

I thought it was a fabulous book – ultimately uplifting but with moments of real terror and fury and vulnerability.

 

Susanna:

One of the things I love and admire about books by Carol Rivers is that, while some authors get a bit stale and produce books that feel samey, Carol always writes something fresh, using new ideas, at the same time as remaining true to the drama and strong sense of personal relationships that characterise her books. Christmas Child is a story for any time of year, not just for the festive season.

An emotional and enthralling tale, it follows Ettie as she faces up to life’s dangers and challenges and learns the hard way that not everyone deserves to be trusted. I love stories set in Victorian times and I’m delighted that Carol Rivers has, for this book, left behind her customary 20th century setting and moved into the 19th century. I hope there will be more Victorian stories to come from this wonderful writer.

 

 

Jane:

I went on holiday last month and as such had a little more time than usual to read, so a couple of books I’d been wanting to get my teeth into for a while came to the top of my TBR pile.

The first was Liz Fenwick’s The Path to the Sea, a truly absorbing book, well researched with the strands of the story pulled beautifully together. It is set in 1962 and 2018, with a clever structure that means the action is set over the same three days of both years, flipping between them, but taking events sequentially in both. It must have been an absolute sod to write, but it’s so beautifully managed it never feels contrived and I was caught up in the story rather than the way it was told, which is exactly how it should be.

Three generations of women come together at Boskenna for the last time, both bound together and torn apart by the secrets and lies between them. It’s a fabulous story, but what I loved the most was that important thing wasn’t what had happened, but why.

The second book was Jen Gilroy’s The Cottage at Firefly Lake. Far more of a traditional holiday read, it’s a heart-warming small town romance set in Vermont and featuring realistically scarred characters you want to alternately hug then knock their heads together. Two sisters return to Firefly Lake after eighteen years to sell their late mother’s cottage and more than just old passions are ignited in this beautiful place. The book’s just perfect for readers who love a truly emotional romance.

 

My Writing Process – Karen King

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writing, my writing process, I’ve always been a bit of a planner, mainly because when I started my writing career over thirty years ago I wrote for teen magazines and children’s comics and had to send a synopsis of the story first, for approval. Now I’m living in Spain I write mainly romance novels but I still send a synopsis of the story I’m planning to my editor. She will make comments and we’ll flesh out the plot between us before I start writing it up.

I really like to know my characters before I write the story, and often trail Pinterest boards for photos of people that look like my characters, print them out and put them in my WIP folder so I have an image of them while I write. I also create a Pinterest board for every book I’m working on, looking for images that are connected to the story and repining them to my WIP board. I find that really helps me to brainstorm. Once I feel I know my characters well enough I start to write, freewriting the story as it comes and not stopping to edit or correct until I’ve finished.  Then I leave it for a couple of weeks (unless I’m on a tight deadline) then go back and edit it. 

I usually do four different edits, first I read all the way through to get the feel of the characters and story. I make comments in the margin or underline anything I want to change but don’t alter them at this stage. For the next set of edits I work on anything that I’ve marked up and pay particular attention to the story structure and timeline. For the third set of edits I pay attention to characters, dialogue and setting and for the final set of edits I look out for typos and grammatical errors. I’m now lucky enough to work for Bookouture, and we’re usually on a tight deadline so they ask for the first draft, then get back to me with their comments, which works really well. I always find it helpful to get their advice and guidance into making my story stronger.

I find I work best in the morning so ideally like to get up, grab some breakfast and start work for a few hours. I write most days and don’t usually have a word count I’m aiming at unless I’m on a tight deadline, then I’ll work as and when I can during the day, and late into the evening too until I meet that wordcount (it can be anything from 2-5,000 words).  I mainly write in my upstairs office which is in the studio apartment on the terrace but can also be found writing by the pool with my laptop in a box to keep the sun off my screen, or at the dining room table. I can write anywhere really, as long as I have my laptop, or a notebook and pen. 

If I get Writer’s Block I simply carrying on writing until the story flows again, then delete any rubbish I’ve written to get me there. Which is why my advice to new writers is – stop faffing about and just write! You can edit afterwards, the main thing is to get your story down.

Contact Links

Website: http://www.karenking.net/

Twitter: @karen_king

Karen King Romance Author Facebook Page

Karen King Young Adult Books Facebook Page

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/karenkingauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenkingauthor/?hl=en

Single All The Way

Blurb

Snow is falling, bells are ringing… and my heart is broken. I pick up the phone to tell my mother about Oliver and me. But before I can, she says, ‘I don’t exactly know how to tell you this… But I’m leaving your dad.’
Single together for the first time, 34-year-old Meg and her warm-hearted, long-suffering mother Sally are cancelling Christmas, and running away to a tiny cottage on the Cornish coast. For Meg, it is the perfect place to heal, away from all the mistletoe, while for her mother it has a special, and secret, place in her heart – from a love story that seems a lifetime ago…

Meg and Sally find they’re getting to know themselves, and each other, better than ever before. But as they are unable to resist getting involved in the village Christmas celebrations, they encounter two handsome local strangers.

Sometimes, it’s being away from home that helps you realise where your heart is. What neither woman knows is that, by the time the new year rolls around, one woman will have fallen in love with her husband all over again, and one marriage will be over for good…

An escapist, romantic and heart-warming novel for fans of One Day in December and No One Cancels Christmas.

Buy links

AMZ: https://geni.us/B07XDYL7GHCover
Apple Books: https://tinyurl.com/y4dkhrvl
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y6apzqe2
Googleplay: https://tinyurl.com/y5hc6nfn

 

A PUBLISHER’S YEAR: OCTOBER – AWARDS, ASSOCIATIONS AND AUDIOBOOKS

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Hello and welcome to the next Sapere Books instalment! Lots of exciting things have happened over the past few months. In August I worked with Simon and Schuster’s Sara-Jade Virtue to judge the RNA’s annual Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers. The books we read were all very different and very worthy nominees, but luckily we were unanimous with our winner: The Lost Village by Lorna Cook.

September also saw the whole Sapere Books team attend the Independent Publishers Guild Autumn Conference. The IPG has a wealth of resources for publishers and arranged fantastic talks for the conference. One area it has led us to mull over is audiobook publishing. We have come to the conclusion that it is too expensive for us to experiment with at the moment, but we will certainly be pitching all of our books to audio publishers both in the UK and the US to try and secure publishing deals. We did actually get approached by Tantor Media last month, and we have sold the audio rights to them for the first three books in J C Briggs Charles Dickens Investigations series, which is exciting!

At the beginning of this month we hosted one of our semi-annual author meet-ups. It is lovely to spend some time with our authors face to face, and to encourage all our authors to get to know one another. Everyone is spread out all over the country, and not all of them belong to genre-specific groups like the RNA and CWA, so it feels good to have informal catch ups to discuss industry news, writing projects – and life in general!

Last week the team attended the Crime Writers’ Association Gala Dinner, which happens every year to reveal the winners of their prestigious Dagger Awards. We are the current sponsor of their Historical Dagger, which had already been whittled down to six fantastic books, but I have to say S G MacLean was a very worthy winner for her third Seeker novel, Destroying Angel.

We also have some exciting company news to share. If you have been following these blog posts, you will know that we had been actively looking to sign up some historical nautical fiction. Well, I can know officially announce that we have signed Justin Fox, represented by the Aoife Lennon-Ritchie to our list. Justin is working on a series of novels set in the second world war around the South African Cape, and we hope to publish the first one next year.

As always, we’ve been busy publishing lots of fantastic books. New series we have launched include the Inspector James Given series by Charlie Garratt – traditional English murder mysteries set in the lead up to the Second World War; the DI Jemima Huxley series by Gaynor Torrance – a troubled female detective struggling to stay sane while solving complex murder cases; and the DS Hunter Kerr Investigations by Michael Fowler – a crime team solving serial killer cases in Yorkshire. We’ve also launched two psychological thrillers by Gillian Jackson – ABDUCTION and SNATCHED – which are receiving fantastic reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

We also focussed on publishing more ‘backlist’ titles. We recently signed up Dorothy Mack’s Regency romance backlist, which were first published in the 1980s/90s. The first one, THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE is selling particularly well at the moment. And we have just starting reissuing Alan Williams’ historical thrillers, with his Cold War espionage novel, GENTLEMAN TRAITOR, out this month.

Amy