Category Archives: Culture

Exclusive Paddy Ashdown Interview: On His Books

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Paddy Ashdown has been a Royal Marine, the leader of the Liberal Democrats for eleven years, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a life peer in the House of Lords. On top of that he has written 8 books, with the 8th coming out on the 5th of June. I can’t wait as I have loved all of his other books. I interviewed him about his books and politics. Here is part one.

Did you get the idea for A Brilliant Little Operation: The Cockleshell Heroes and the Most Courageous Raid of World War 2 while you were a member of the Royal Marines elite Special Boot Squadron?

No, my publisher approached me and said ‘it’s the 70th anniversary how about writing the book’. Which is my seventh book. I am just about to produce my 8th so it was a natural subject really.

What is your 8th book about?

The 8th book is about the largest resistance battle with the Germans in the Second World War. It is called A Terrible Victory, about the Vercors plateau on June 1944 and it was the biggest resistance German battle in Western Europe. [Learn more about the book here. It is about the chronicle of the French Resistance during World War Two]

That sounds fascinating. You have written quite a lot of books. Do you have a favourite?

I think the one I am working on now is always my favourite. I love writing books and whatever you’re working on consumes your mind so it is always the one you are most thinking about.

You’re books are very good. They are always very factual and have lots of history in them. How do you go about writing them. What is your writing schedule?

Writing The Brilliant Little Operation, and the one I am going to produce, Harper Collins will publish it on the 5th of June, takes me about three years of research. I mean, I start writing before then and overall I don’t like writing unless I have all of the research it is possible to get. Normally the whole process will take my three and a half to four years. Of which three years is spent on research. Going to the wonderful archive museum in Britain, the National Archives in Britain. In the case of both of my most recent books, to the Château de Vincennes in Paris, In France there are three key archives you have to go to. And also the Bauhaus-Archiv in Germany.

I spend a lot of time in archives. In writing my present book I have read sixty other books on the subject, all of them in French. In writing a Brilliant Little Operation I have read four books before and a lot of research. So research is very important.

You can really tell that when you read your books.

Thank you, that’s kind. That’s very generous.

Tomorrow: The Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives, Nick Clegg, Labour and the NHS: Exclusive interview.

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – BEST OF THE BEST, PART 2

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We’ve been given some wonderful advice from our First, Last & Everything guests this year, so here’s the best of it:

ON WRITING

Don’t get it right – get it written. Susanna Bavin

Sometimes it really is okay to tell not show. Every course I’ve ever attended and blog you read talk about showing not telling. It can become obsessive. At some point, it’s better to just say: ‘it’s midnight’ rather than: ‘Bats passed silently by the ancient metal hands of the church clock as they moved into a vertical position.’ This is particularly true in children’s books where most kids want action. Christopher Joyce

 

ON EDITING

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. Morton Gray

I printed my novel on A4 paper and began to read it. This was a pivotal moment in my writing career. Multiple small errors, which were mysteriously invisible before, began to jump out at me. It was a valuable lesson and now I always edit a paper version at some point during my self-editing phase. Victoria Cornwall

 

ON PUBLISHING

Phillipa Ashley and Rowan Coleman both advised me without a second’s hesitation to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme. I went on and joined in the January of 2014, and published that début novel the following year. Julie Stock

Put a name to a face quickly and always have a smile. Publishing is still quite a small world and conducting yourself in the right way will really keep your options open. You never know when you may need somebody’s help in the future! James Faktor

If you’re going to self-publish, it’s important to go through the same steps as a mainstream publisher would prior to publication. Think carefully before using free resources unless you’re convinced about the result. It’s usually worth paying professionals for edits, proofing and cover design.  Cathie Hartigan

 

ON READING

I think everyone should make friends with their local bookshop.  Booksellers have a wealth of knowledge that they love to share, and bookshops are such beautiful places to spend time in. Cressida Downing

If you’re not enjoying a book, don’t struggle through it and make the whole process horrible. There are so many amazing books out there for a variety of tastes, passions and interests – find something that sparks a light in you and devour it! There will be a book out there for you, I can guarantee it! Lara Marshall

 

ON LIFE

Comparing your own life and career to the life and career of someone else portrayed online is not only pointless but can be damaging. So I’ve had to learn to stop – and I would definitely give this piece of advice to anyone starting out in writing or any other career. Clare Swatman

In the famous words of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it.” Yasmin Thornber

You won’t learn about people in a classroom.  Get out there, but take your notebook.

Julia Dean

 

 

 

 

 

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – BEST OF THE BEST, PART 1

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We’ve been given some wonderful advice from our First, Last & Everything guests this year, so here’s the best of it:

ON WRITING

There’s no magic bestseller formula (if there were we’d all be making millions of pounds!) – all you can do is write the best book you can. That’s it. Clare Swatman

Listen to the advice you are given but do not blindly accept it or reject it without consideration. Evaluate it, then adopt or discard it. There is no ultimate template of how you should write, what you should write, the rules you should obey or break. Sandra Danby

I have offered this advice to a few writers and they have all told me it is a good idea, so I am happy to share it with you here: don’t stop writing today unless you know how you are going to start writing tomorrow. For me, following this rule means that, when I hit a problem and the writing becomes difficult, I always keep at it until I have got past the hard bit and things are flowing freely again… so that when I stop, I know how I’ll start again next time. Susanna Bavin

 

ON EDITING

Once you’ve written and edited your work get in proofread by a professional. This is not your sister, who is an English graduate; not your neighbour, who studied law and is very bright and NEVER yourself. It’s impossible. Christopher Joyce

I follow a lot of writing blogs on Twitter, and many of them have wonderful snippets of advice, one of the most practical of which in recent months was about removing redundant words from your manuscript. I discovered there were plenty of lists out there, once I’d put ‘redundant words in your novel’ into Google, and soon I was working my way through my extremely long manuscript and culling them (thank you, Word, for the Search and Replace function). In the end, nearly 10,000 redundant words sailed off into the blue yonder; not one of them was missed! Cassandra Grafton

Two author friends, at separate times, said they were listening to their manuscripts for errors and suggested it was a good way to edit. It is easy to read what we expect to see rather than what is truly there. Our hearing is very sensitive. A misspelt word, repetition or a sentence that is far too long, is more obvious to our ears. Victoria Cornwall

 

ON PUBLISHING

Ebook jackets will be seen as thumbnails on retailers’ sites so you need to ensure that the title can still be read. A small, thin font in a colour that doesn’t stand out isn’t the best and don’t clutter your cover – try to keep it simple and avoid too much text. Megan Lockwood-Jones

 

ON LIFE

The one piece of advice that has helped me in both my personal and professional life is: treat others as you’d want them to treat you. So be polite and considerate and don’t take advantage of other people. Never say something behind someone’s back you wouldn’t say to their face and if you make a mistake, apologise and move on. And never try and attribute blame. Mistakes happen, learn from them. Sue Featherstone

Be kind to yourself. Set reasonable goals (if that’s the type of writer you are) and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t manage to achieve them. Also have breaks from your writing. Writing isn’t something to be forced but to be enjoyed and, if it isn’t, maybe it’s time to ask ourselves why we’re doing it. Wendy Clarke

It is never too late to begin to write. Morton Gray

 

 

 

 

The Bonbon Girl By Linda Finlay | New Books

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An absorbing read. Highly recommended.

In a tumbledown Cornish cottage, with an alcoholic father, Colenso Carne works with the Serpentine stone from the local mine. When she catches the eye of the new factory manager, her father insists she rejects her beloved Kitto in order to marry Fenton.

Forced to flee the village when Fenton turns nasty, she is taken under the wing of wise woman Mara and travels to local fairs, learning to make bonbons to pay her way.

But she never gives up hope of being reunited with Kitto…

Set against the dramatic Cornish coastline, this tale of triumph and tragedy will delight fans of Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court.

Available here.

As the Sun Breaks Through By Ellie Dean | Recommended Reads

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ellie dean as the sun breaks throughTHE FIFTEENTH CLIFFEHAVEN NOVEL BY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ELLIE DEAN

Cliffehaven, June 1944

As the planes continue to circle over Cliffehaven, Peggy Reilly’s sister Doris must seek refuge after a V-1 blast destroys her home. Rita, Sarah and the other residents at Beach View Boarding House quickly find their peace disturbed and it’s not long before even Peggy loses her patience. But with more bad news to come, will Doris finally be forced to swallow her pride?

Meanwhile Peggy’s father-in-law Ron Reilly is delighted when his sweetheart Rosie returns home. Until a heart-breaking confession suggests things may never be the same between them.

With loved ones scattered far and wide across the globe, and tensions running high, the end of the war feels somehow further than ever. And yet with the long-awaited Allied invasion in sight, a glimmer of light is starting to break through…

A fabulous, heart-warming Second World War novel in Ellie Dean’s bestselling Cliffehaven series (previously called the Beach View Boarding House series).

A Nightingale Christmas Promise by Donna Douglas |

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A Nightingale Christmas Promise by Donna Douglas

This fun and comforting read is perfect for Christmas.

For the first time, a Nightingale nurses novel set during the First World War. Follow the senior staff as they overcome the trials of their training years. From Sunday Times top ten bestselling author, Donna Douglas.

East London, 1914: Britain is preparing for war. As young men queue up across the country to enlist, the Nightingale Hospital has its own set of new recruits…

Anna has had a happy upbringing in her parent’s bakery in Bethnal Green. But as war descends her family’s German roots will wrench them apart in ways Anna never could have imagined.

Kate dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor. With female doctors virtually unheard of, it will take courage to face off the prejudice around her.

Sadie joins the Nightingale Hospital for a new life away from her mother’s interference. But the legacy of her family may not be so easy to escape…

As the shadow of war descends, will the promise of Christmas help to bring the students together?

You Can Thrive After Narcissistic Abuse By Melanie Tonia Evans

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We all have those people in our lives. The ones that we are a victim too. No matter how much we try to fix things with them or to break free they are still there; doing damage and trying to make us think it is us who have the problem. Sometimes we do not even realise how much damage a person does to us. Many are in toxic relationships with people who are friends or family and do no even realise they are the victim of narcissistic abuse. With Christmas on the horizon we will all be spending time with people we may not like to, who deliberately hurt us. This book has lots of great advice to help. It has a recovering system too. Some of it was too hippy dippy for me. I was also not a fan of the authors habit of using the word ‘rape’ as a verb, but overall I think this is a great book. It can help many people and has already done so. Even if you do not believe in some of the things the author believes in; the book still has information to help you. The author is inspirational and can help you detach from narcissists and love yourself again. Much needed in time for the festive season.

The Number 1 System for Recovering from Toxic Relationships

Narcissistic abuse is experiencing epidemic proportions worldwide. This book is for everyone, as many people would have suffered some form of narcissistic abuse at some time or know someone that has.

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Narcissistic abuse may be mental, physical, financial, spiritual or sexual. If you have been through an abusive relationship with someone who has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, you will know that no one understands what you are going through unless they have personally experienced it.
In You Can Thrive After Narcissistic Abuse you will learn how to: recognise if you are in a narcissistic relationship, remove yourself from the narcissist’s ability to affect or abuse you and identify the subconscious programme which hooked you in to begin with so you can heal and go on to thrive not just survive. This revolutionary programme is designed to heal you from the inside out, its effectiveness has been proven by thousands of people worldwide.

Filled with inspirational case studies, insights and inner child work, Evans teaches us that often those that attract narcissists are people pleasers who subjugate their own needs.The Thriver technique asserts that whatever happened in the past was for a reason and if you can find out and heal that reason, then not only will this situation never happen to you again; your life will heal and evolve. Part One of the book explores the nature of narcissistic abuse, what it is and its effect on us and our relationships. Part Two sets out the ten steps that help us connect with our inner trauma and heal from it and Part Three looks at the lessons that can be garnered from narcissistic abuse and the way forward – both for ourselves and for future generations.

If you have suffered from a traumatic relationship with anyone: a parent, spouse, lover, friend, boss or even your own child – this book is for you, regardless of whether you are trapped in an abusive dynamic right now or still struggling to heal from what happened decades ago.

Biography

Melanie Tonia Evans is a healer, author and radio host considered to be the world’s leading online authority on narcissistic abuse recovery. As a survivor of Narcissistic Abuse herself, she is the founder of Quanta Freedom Healing (QFH) and the Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Program (NARP). Through her programmes, Mel has helped thousands of people worldwide – there are now over 20,000 graduates of the Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Program who are presently Thriving in abuse-free lives. To find out more visit: melanietoniaevans.com

Available here.

World of Flowers: A Colouring Book and Floral Adventure By Johanna Basford

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The colouring in trend shows no signs of abating and Johanna Basford is the best of the best. Her latest World of Flowers: A Colouring Book and Floral Adventure is another magical adventure. Hours of beautiful and relaxing fun.

An abundance of fascinating florals awaits in the gorgeous new colouring book from Johanna Basford.

Join ‘colourist queen’ Johanna Basford on a floral adventure around the world and beyond, into the realms of fantasy and imagination. This sensational new colouring book is filled with countless new blooms and blossoms, from floating gardens of water poppies in South Africa to delicate cosmos in Japan, ready for you to discover and bring to life in colour.

Get ready to show your colours!

Johanna has picked a crisp ivory paper that accentuates and compliments your chosen colour palette. The smooth, untextured pages allows for beautiful blending or gradient techniques with coloured pencils, or are perfect for pens, allowing the nib to glide evenly over the surface without feathering.

Available here.