Book review: Hawthorn’s Hill by Denis Redmond

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Vicky Edwards

Hawthorn’s Hill
By Denis Redmond

Published by Mereo on 7 April 2015

Intelligently written, sharp and cleverly conceived, the follies of diplomacy, tribal conflict and the foibles of race and sex are all ingredients in this topical novel about modern Africa.

Set in a fictitious central African country, tension mounts as tribal leaders lock horns in a bid to seize control. Zawanda is in trouble. The country’s economy is kaput and its people are unable to give up their age-old tribal enmities. Britain is to cut off the country’s foreign aid and it looks like the whole nation is on the cusp of imploding. But Frederick Zawutu, the intelligent, Cambridge and Sandhurst-educated new president, hits on a daring scheme: Zawanda is going to make the West believe that this penniless Central African nation has somehow acquired a nuclear bomb. But Zawutu has underestimated the English arms dealer he has set up to unwittingly play the part of the ‘supplier’ and once again the future becomes incredibly fragile…

Drawing on his own experience of serving in the Army, Denis Redmond’s debut novel has a terrific plot at its heart, one that grips and maintains its hold throughout. Combined with a savvy instinct for pace, as well as sharp humour, well-drawn characters and authentic dialogue, the result is a refreshing and remarkably adept novel that is, with foreign aid is seldom out of the spotlight in the run up to the election, bang on topical trend.

Vicky Edwards

Published: 7 April 2015 ISBN: 978-1-86151-304-5 Price: £12.99 RRP Format: Paperback www.mereobooks.com MEREO books are available through: Amazon.co.uk & other internet booksellers and all good bookshops (Also available as an ebook)

Five Things Aspiring Actors Should Do

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Take Advantage of Your Novelty Value.

You are new and shiny. Take advantage of this. Casting directors will give you an audition just because they have never seen you before. Not so much after you have been auditioning for years. Getting noticed when you are new can really give you a foothold into the industry as every agent, producer and casting director wants to discover the Next Big Thing. You have about six months until the next wave of graduates enter the ring. Sounds brutal and unfair? That’s because it is.

Get An Accurate Headshot.

I cannot stress this enough. Get a headshot that looks like you. I have been on the other side of the casting divide and have always been shocked when an actor comes in with a headshot that is either ten years old or airbrushed into oblivion. You are an actor, not a supermodel. The key to a good headshot is to look like yourself, only better. Have spots and dark circles removed, nothing else. Actors are hired to play real people, not robots (usually). Not looking like your headshot is also the quickest way to upset a casting director. They will look bad in front of the producer or director. Many productions also cast from pictures and, if like the women who was hired to play 1980s era Madonna on a production I was also cast in, you now look completely different than you do in your picture that casting director will never hire you again.

Write To Every Casting Director Who Ever Lived.

Slight exaggeration but you get my point. Start your research. Watch TV and film and write down who the casting director is. Do the same for theatre. Do not just throw mud at the wall however, don’t contact casting directors who only do kids TV shows if you are 30. The key is to contact casting directors who cast your type. Be concise and to the point and remember to include your headshot and contact details. This brings me to my next point…

Know Your Type.

I know, I know. You are an actor dahling. You can play any role. But the acting industry does not work like that. Casting directors have to put you somewhere and the brutal truth is that the acting industry is probably the only industry that can actually discriminate on how you look. And it will. Catherine Zeta Jones may be a lass from the Welsh valley but she is frequently cast as Italian or Spanish because, in a superficial stereotypical world, that is what they think she looks like. I get cast in period roles a lot because I am slim and pale. So work out your type. Ask friends and family. Make a list of who you are and who you are not and market yourself accordingly. It is not all bad however, getting typecast means getting work, and you can always branch out into other roles later.

Catherine Balavage has been an actor for over ten years. Her book on acting, How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur, has gotten numerous five star reviews and has been called the ‘best advice available’ by numerous sources.

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland By Catherynne M Valente Book Review

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

This book is the fourth instalment in the popular fairyland series, The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is an intelligent and wonderful fantasy novel for adults as well as children. The book has heart and is a compelling fairy tale. The plot keeps you on your toes and the story leaves you feeling joy. This is a brilliant and charming novel for readers of all ages. Highly enjoyable. Bestselling children’s author Catherynne M Valente is a winner of the Andre Norton Award and also writes books for adults. Hailed as ‘one of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century’ by Time Magazine, get your hands on a copy now.

When a young troll named Hawthorn is stolen from Fairyland by the Golden Wind, he becomes a changeling – a human boy – in the strange city of Chicago, a place no less bizarre and magical than Fairyland when seen through trollish eyes.

Left with a human family, Hawthorn struggles with his troll nature and his changeling fate. But when he turns twelve, he stumbles upon a way back home, to a Fairyland much changed from the one he remembers.

Soon, Hawthorn finds himself at the centre of a changeling revolution – until he comes face to face with a beautiful young Scientiste with very big, very red assistant . . .

With The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, Catherynne M. Valente’s wisdom and wit will continue to charm readers of all ages.

The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is available here.

Month 2 Of My Reading Challenge by Frances Colville

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Margaret Graham

I began with a book I probably wouldn’t have picked up myself, but which was the book of choice for one of my two reading groups.The Girl Under The Olive Tree by Leah Fleming (published Simon and Schuster UK 2013). It should have been a good read (interesting storyline about an English nurse working for the resistance in Crete during WW2) but there were some irritating anomalies and frequent failures to capitalise on opportunities for dramatic tension. I was left feeling dissatisfied, though I did learn some fascinating facts about Crete and WW2.

My second book also failed to grab me fully. I recently went to a talk by author Natasha Solomons and thought she spoke well and interestingly. I picked up a copy of The Gallery of Vanished Husbands(published Sceptre 2013) and keenly anticipated reading it. But I wasn’t completely convinced by her portrayal of the main character and I found the plot unrealistic in places. However, it is well written; her use of language appealed to me, as did the pace of the book, and there are some excellent descriptive passages. I think I will try another of her books. One more to add to my list.

Next I moved on to another reading group choice: The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks(published Fourth Estate 2002). This was in fact a re-read for me, but I relished the opportunity to have a fresh look at a book which has long been on my Top Ten List. It’s based on the true story of a Derbyshire village coping with an outbreak of plague in the seventeenth century and is one of those books which is almost unbearable to read, and yet equally you can hardly bear to put it down.

As an aspiring short story and flash fiction writer, I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to read Hilary Mantel’s new short story collection The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher(published Fourth Estate 2014) and I wasn’t disappointed. Each individual story is a compelling read and all are powerful, harrowing, disturbing and haunting. In fact they made me question why I read. Is it for pleasure and relaxation? To learn? To be challenged? Or to appreciate the skill of the writer? In the case of this book, I think it is the latter two. And that is a tribute to Hilary Mantel who is a supremely good writer.

After that, I needed something less stressful and turned to Claire Sandy’s novel What Would Mary Berry Do?(published Pan Books 2014) Who doesn’t love Mary Berry and the Bake Off programmes? I’m a big fan, and this lighthearted tale of a harassed mother teaching herself with Mary Berry’s help to bake appealed to me. In fact I could have done with a bit more of the baking and a bit less of the rest of the story. It isn’t a book that will stick in my mind for years to come, but it is an enjoyable and relaxing read and I definitely recommend it if that’s the sort of book you’re looking for.

It’s a truism to say variety is the spice of life, but I’m learning that my choice of books reflects just that. So now I have a problem. What to pick up first for month 3?

At The Break of Day By Margaret Graham Book Review

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Margaret Graham has written many good books, in fact she is working on her 14th. Many of these books are compelling and well-researched books set during wartime. At The Break of Day is no exception. It is yet another brilliant novel to lose yourself in while the author takes you into another time and setting.

Many of the main characters in Margaret Graham’s novels are women making the best of themselves in hard circumstances. In this novel Rosie Norton is facing a bright future in America in 1946, until she is called home from Pennsylvania. Rosie was evacuated by her grandfather in 1939 by her beloved grandfather and she returns to a devastated Europe which is still picking itself up after the war. She has developed an American accent and finds it hard to be accepted by the people around her. Many who refer to her as a dumb yank. She is supported by her childhood sweetheart Jack, but lies and people with bad intentions get between them. Jack is sent to war in Korea and a homeless Rosie, together with the child he doesn’t know they have, is left to fend for herself in London.

This is a wonderful novel that I really enjoyed reading. The character of Rosie is a great one. She makes the most of herself and her circumstances. She is an inspirational character who it is impossible to not fall in love with. I also loved the parallels between the UK and US. McCarthyism is on the rise in the US and her American family write about it in their letters. This is an engaging novel which captures the time it is set in perfectly. Highly recommended: another triumph for Margaret Graham.

At the Break of Day is available here.

This Month’s Top Books

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Frostie

It is still bloody freezing outside, so what better time to curl up with a good book? Here are some of our top books for this month.

I Should Have Said Daisy de Villeneuve

The French have a particular expression for when words fail – ‘’Pensées d’escalier.’ It refers to the inability to think of the perfect response in painful or awkward situations until you’re out of the door – a scenario many of us can relate to at some point in our lives.In I Should Have Said, London born illustrator, designer and writer Daisy de Villeneuve pools together her personal experiences of friendships, flirtations and full-blown romances to equip you with quips for when dialogue dramas strike.From forthright frenemies, bemusing boyfriends or lukewarm liaisons, Daisy’s artistic, anti-romantic antics will be your armour against unrequited amour so that shocked silences, desperate dilemmas and wavering words are a thing of the past.

We loved this book. Wonderful illustrations and witty retorts. Daisy de Villeneuve is effortlessly cool and this book is fun and entertaining.

I Should Have Said…: Quick-Witted Comebacks I Only Wish I’d Said – to Friends and Lovers is available here.

100 Ideas That Changed Advertising Simon Veksner

Like it or not, advertising shapes our lives. This book is thorough, entertaining and educational without being boring. Perfect for anyone with an interest in advertising. 100 Ideas That Changed Advertising takes a look at the key concepts and developments that have shaped the world of advertising, from the early Twentieth century to the present day. Divided into mini-essays, it explores the socio-political and cultural factors behind these changes and the impact that they have on the ads we’re exposed to every day.

Illustrated throughout with hundreds of examples of classic and contemporary ads from companies such as Apple, McDonalds, Dyson and Coca Cola, it’s an accessible and informative read that offers a fascinating insider’s insight into the ad industry.

100 Ideas that Changed Advertising is available here.

Obsession in Death J.D Robb

Another brilliant crime thriller from J.D Robb AKA Nora Roberts. Entertaining and indulgent.

A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.

Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an ‘admirer’, who just can’t stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her – again and again…

With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate – and dangerous – psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide – approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk – along with those she cares about the most.Nora Roberts published her first novel using the pseudonym J.D. Robb in 1995, introducing to readers the tough as nails but emotionally damaged homicide cop Eve Dallas and billionaire Irish rogue, Roarke.

With the In Death series, Robb has become one of the biggest thriller writers on earth, with each new novel reaching number one on bestseller charts the world over.

Obsession in Death is available here.

At The Break of Day Margaret Graham

Another brilliant novel from Frost favourite Margaret Graham. Brilliantly researched and engrossing. A must read.

It is 1946, and as Europe slowly picks itself up after the trauma of war, Rosie Norton faces a bright future in America. Evacuated in 1939 by her grandfather, she escaped the cramped streets of London to a new world in Pennsylvania.Suddenly, at the age of sixteen, she is called home to a Britain bruised by war and still suffering the hardships that America knows nothing about.While struggling to become accepted again by her family she is supported by her childhood sweetheart Jack.Until Jack is sent to war in Korea and a homeless Rosie, together with the child he doesn’t know they have, is left to fend for herself in London.

At the Break of Day is available here.

When I Met You Jemma Forte

The new novel by best-selling author and TV personality Jemma Forte. When I Met You is the third book from Jemma. Jemma writes about a range of hugely relatable issues with reverence and emotional intelligence including family, illness, life decisions, romance, love and growing older. This is the perfect novel to lose yourself in. Imaginative, clever and addictive.

Marianne Baker is happy. Sort of. She’s had the same job for 15 years. She’s 31, still living at home with her mum and sleeping in a single bed. Playing the violin is her only real passion – but nobody like her does that for a living.Then one night everything changes. The father who abandoned Marianne as a child turns up on the doorstep, with a shocking secret that changes her live forever. Suddenly her safe, comfortable world is shattered. If her father isn’t the man she though he was, then who is he? And more to the point, who is she?

When I Met You is available here.

And if you are getting married…

Check out our editor’s book The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity by Catherine Balavage. It has had some five star reviews and covers every aspect of wedding planning from the perceptive of someone who survived planning their own wedding. It is well-researched and entertaining.

Engaged? Daunted by wedding planning? Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, this book is a no-nonsense guide to planning the perfect wedding no matter what your budget. With time and money-saving costs, advice on handling difficult relatives and hints and tips to plan your perfect day. This is the only wedding book you will ever need.

The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available here.

The Glass Girl By Sandy Hogarth Book Review

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

The Glass Girl is a deeply moving novel. A stunning debut that is well written and evocative. The plot is smart, drawing you in and not letting you go. The main character, Ruth, is a wonderful narrator. Interesting and intelligent. The book tracks her life along with the main historical events of the time. Her life is thrown onto a certain path after a traumatic event. She flees to Australia for the solitude of the outback, taking her secrets with her. Only her mother’s death brings her back and she must then confront her sister.

The Glass Girl goes deep into the pain a sibling can cause. How family can tear us apart and that the past can always haunt. The Glass Girl is a brilliant novel, I could hardly put it down. Beautifully written and deeply engaging, The Glass Girl is a highly recommended read. Brilliant stuff.

Say thank you to your sister for me.

His parting words cause sixteen year old Ruth to flee to Australia in shame and fear, telling her mother, it’s just a year mum, then I’ll be home. But even there her secret drives her to the isolation of the outback.

Seven years later the death of her mother brings Ruth home to England. Now she must confront her sister, Alexis. But there are darker secrets that threaten to tear apart the family she thought she knew and Alexis’ betrayals are not over.

Sometimes you can’t keep running. In a world of lies and betrayal by the people she loved, is Ruth strong enough?

The Glass Girl is available here.

Sandy Hogarth’s Day in The Life is here.

Russell Crowe: Female Actors Should Act Their Age. Meryl Streep Responds

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

There has been some uproar after Russell Crowe said that female actors should act their age. Meryl Streep came out in support of him and The Guardian did a great quiz on actors and playing age.

Russell said in an interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly: “To be honest, I think you’ll find that the woman who is saying that [the roles have dried up] is the woman who at 40, 45, 48, still wants to play the ingenue, and can’t understand why she’s not being cast as the 21-year-old, Meryl Streep will give you 10,000 examples and arguments as to why that’s bullshit, so will Helen Mirren, or whoever it happens to be. If you are willing to live in your own skin, you can work as an actor. If you are trying to pretend that you’re still the young buck when you’re my age, it just doesn’t work. I have heard of an actress, part of her fee negotiation was getting the number of children she was supposed to have lessened. Can you believe this? This (character) was a woman with four children, and there were reasons why she had to have four children – mainly, she lived in a cold climate and there was nothing to do but fornicate all day – so quit arguing, just play the role!”

Unfortunately that is not right at all. While some women will not want to play older, I have met a few, the roles for women are usually terrible when under 40: girlfriend, stripper, ‘the girl‘, a whore or merely window-dressing. When a women is over 40 the roles do not realistically reflect women’s lives. We are usually the mother, grandmother, crone or witch.

Jezebel blogger Rebecca Rose had this to say: “ALERT: Hollywood movie actor person Russell Crowe is fed up with all the old ladies who dare to want to be cast as something other than old spinsters or whatnot. Quit complaining that you’re cast in a role where your character has ‘nothing to do but fornicate all day’ and make a bunch of babies. Stop demanding that film-makers try to expand the depth of your character beyond ‘broodmare’. Just play the role, OK? Funny how Crowe doesn’t bother to offer any opinion about the mind-boggling legacy of Hollywood men playing romantic leads to women 10, 20, 30, and sometimes 40 (!!!!!) years younger than them,” Rose added. “Because it’s clearly the sad old women daring to pretend they are outside their actual birth ages that are ruining Hollywood … Thanks Crowe for reminding us, yet again, that women are always held in contempt for doing anything remotely similar to what their male counterparts do without reproach.” Very good points. Men do not tend to ‘play their age’ and their on-screen wives are usually significantly younger than them.

Amy Gray wrote on Junkee.com, “The ‘ingenue’ roles Crowe refers to are the only ones readily available for women; on the flip side, the majority of male characters in film and TV are aged between their 30s (27%) and 40s (31%). That could be because we’re more likely to want to watch lead characters based on their fuckability – and the older a woman gets, as any executive will tell you, the less faceable she becomes.” Crowe is 50 and also said “The point is, you do have to be prepared to accept that there are stages in life. So I can’t be the Gladiator forever,”

What do you think?

If you are an actor then check out my book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. It is available in print and in all eBook formats on both Smashwords and Amazon. It has had 5 five star reviews.

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