Author Spotlight ~ J Carmen Smith

I am delighted to welcome

J Carmen Smith

By kind permission of the author

Author

 of

CHASING SHADOWS 

Chasing Shadows is published by Corazon Books exclusively as an ebook
20th February 2013

A journey into the past and the secrets it holds

Chasing Shadows is Micaela's story, from her birth in Santiago de Compostela in the late 1870s, to her death in Liverpool in 1950. The story unfolds as tragic events alter the course of Micaela's life, taking her from a comfortable life in nineteenth century Spain to a poor,working class environment in early twentieth century Liverpool. In Liverpool, she meets the Spanish seaman whom she marries in 1907. Chasing Shadows tells of their life together, the difficulties they face in a foreign land, their hopes and disappointments.

It tells of Micaela's failure to fully adapt to her new environment and how this affects her

eldest daughter's life as Pilar is torn between two cultures, two languages and two religions after making a hasty marriage.

Micaela was my grandmother and Chasing Shadows is also my story. It tells of my travels through northern Spain in search of my lost heritage as I explore the culture and the landscape that Micaela left behind. Seemingly chance meetings influence my search, helping me, after many false leads and dead ends, to unearth the secrets of past generations.

What inspired you to tell your grandmother's story? 

I was only ten when my grandmother died and although I saw her at least once a week, she didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Spanish, so the research which led to Chasing Shadows was, I suppose, my way of getting closer to her. Also, I feel her story, about emigration and the difficulties encountered in settling into a new life, separated from family and friends, your language and your culture, is as relevant today as it was over a hundred years ago.

What was the writing process like?

The writing process was difficult at first. I lacked confidence in my ability to do justice to the story, which is why I enrolled on a series of creative writing courses. The encouragement and feedback I received on these helped enormously. Once I started travelling to Spain to do the research, I kept journals which I filled in every night so that I was recording my immediate impressions and reactions to people and places. These journals were the basis for the travel sections of the book. The fictionalised, biographical chapters of my grandmother’s early days in Spain were based on anecdotes told to me by my mother and it was thrilling when my research confirmed these, with only a couple of discrepancies in dates and names. These were understandable given that oral history is rarely one hundred per cent accurate and my mother, having been born in England, was passing on stories that she had heard as a child.

What kind of research did you have to do for Chasing Shadows?

My first step was to contact a cousin to see if she had any documents relating to my grandparents. I’d been told my grandmother’s maiden name and that she came to Liverpool from ‘near’ Santiago de Compostela. I also knew the name of the church where she married my grandfather, but not the date. For various family reasons, I hadn't seen my cousin since she was two, fifty years previously, but fortunately she’d inherited photographs and documents from my uncle. She also had a copy of our grandparents’ marriage certificate; alien registration documents from both world wars, and photographs of my grandmother’s siblings – with their names. It was on the strength of these that I set out on my first trip to Spain.

How long did it take you to write Chasing Shadows?

Because the research was so important to me, from that first journey to completion of Chasing Shadows, took eight years! As I made subsequent journeys and uncovered more facts then I would write the next chapters. Sometimes when I discovered a new piece of information I would have to go back and rewrite a chapter.

Are you inspired by any particular era, author or book? 

I find the period from the 1880s to the 1960s particularly interesting because of the huge social changes that were taking place. Also, I like to feel part of the chain that links my great-grandparents’ marriage in Santiago de Compostela in 1880, to my marriage in Liverpool in 1960. I’m an avid reader, both of contemporary novels and the Victorian classics. I love Dickens’ novels, especially David Copperfield. Had I met him, I may not have liked Dickens the man, but however many times I read it, I can still weep for David.

About the author

J Carmen Smith was brought up in the Liverpool suburbs, the youngest child in a working class family. She went to grammar school but left at the age of fifteen to start work as a typist in a Law Stationer's Office in the city centre. At the time, she promised her English teacher that one day she would take her English Language and Literature 'O' levels. She eventually kept her promise, gaining '0' and 'A' levels while her children were young, then a BA (Hons) in English and History when they had all flown the nest. At the age of 59 she graduated from The University of Liverpool with an MA in Victorian Literature. Chasing Shadows is her first full length work.

Find out more about the author  http://www.jcarmensmith.com/

My Review of Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows is a beautifully written and thought provoking story, which not only charts the author's progress as she seeks to discover more about the life of her grandmother, but also works as a rather lovely travelogue, as her research takes her deeper into the culture and hidden secrets of rural Spain. Unearthing the secrets of lost generations is often hampered by lack of information, it’s all too easy for forgotten generations to slip into the mists of time, but this novel shows that with skill and determination, long buried hopes and dreams can be made to live on again in the hearts and minds of others.

Thank you so much for taking the time to give us such a lovely insight into your book. 

Jaffa and enjoyed reading it very much, and I'm sure that your grandmother would have been delighted with this story.

Review - Like This For Ever by S J Bolton

Published 11 April 2013

Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway.

Dracula, Bram Stoker

This is the third novel from author, S J Bolton, which features the damaged detective Lacey Flint. The story opens as London detective, Dana Tulloch and her team are searching against time for a serial killer who seems to focus on the murder of prepubescent boys. Lacey is home on sick leave, still traumatised by the events of her past, but unable to shake off her interest in the ongoing police investigation. And yet, unlike books one and two in this series, Lacey is more of a peripheral figure, drawn into the story only because she lives next door to Barney, a young boy troubled by the violent murders, and who is damaged by his own personal demons.

As always the book is intricately plotted, and yet despite the convoluted nature of the narrative, the story flows well; the intertwining of multi perspectives heightens the terror, and the on-trend inclusion of the craziness of social media adds a new dimension to the traditional chiller thriller. The story moves along at a cracking pace, so much so, it is difficult to find a natural place to take a break and the temptation is so great to find out what happens next, that all 400 pages flash by in the blink of an eye.

There is no doubt that the author has complete control of this genre, her manipulation of plot, character and motive is exemplary, and with her innate ability to engage with readers, this series seems to go from strength to strength.

Whilst Like This, For Ever, can be read and enjoyed as a standalone thriller, I feel that the hidden references to previous stories and certain character analysis are better appreciated if you have read this series from the beginning.

5*****

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Transworld Publishers for my copy of this book to review.

Review ~ The Innocents by Francesca Segal

Vintage (10 Jan 2013)

Written as a debut book, and awarded the Costa First Novel Award in 2012, The Innocents takes its inspiration from the 1920 book, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, which, in 1921, was the first book to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize by a female writer.

What if everything you'd ever wanted was no longer enough?

The Innocents is a well written first novel. It is set in London, rather than the original New York, and focuses on Adam and Rachel as they plan their wedding. They have been childhood sweethearts for years, and their own romantic history intertwines both of their families. All appears to be going to plan, the wedding is eagerly anticipated, and then into the mix comes Rachel’s cousin Ellie, who has something of a scandalous past, and before long Adam is tempted by Ellie’s provocative allure.

Having read the original book by Wharton, it is difficult not to make side by side comparisons between the two books, but overall this homage works well in a contemporary setting. Regardless of the passage of time, this age old story of temptation, recrimination, and retribution has universal appeal. The writing style is fluid and maintains interest; I was particularly engrossed in the Jewish background, which is a community of which I know very little, but whose values are explained in sympathetic detail.

Overall, I found book interesting and entertaining, its present-day location in London, gives it an informality which is refreshing, and the age-old premise of being thankful for what you already have, certainly rings true.

4****

My thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for my galley of The Innocents

Francesca Segal

Winner of the 2012 Costa Prize for First Fiction.

Winner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction

Winner of the 2013 Sami Rohr Prize

Long-listed for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction

Friday Recommends ~ The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff

Mira Books (1 Feb 2013)

The Ambassador's Daughter

 by 

Pam Jenoff

Out of the wreckage of war comes the beauty of love

In the aftermath of the First World War, Margot Rosenthal, is taken to Paris in 1919, whilst her father is part of a delegation attending a peace conference. Initially, Margot resents being thought of as the enemy and is reluctant to stay in a place where she is looked upon with mistrust. And yet, however difficult life in Paris appears, Margot is reluctant to return to Berlin, and her seriously injured fiancé, Stefan.

What then follows is a realistic depiction of the profound effect that life in post war Europe had on personal relationships, and illustrates how the luxury of trust was something that had to be earned in the most difficult of circumstances. It is in these portrayals of ordinary life where Jenoff excels, and in this story she has attempted to bring together pieces of her previous book The Kommandant’s Girl, and whilst readers of this novel will notice some continuity, it is not essential to have read The Kommandant’s Girl, as The Ambassador’s Daughter can more than stand alone.

As usual the attention to historical detail is meticulously researched; the narrative is sharp and crisp, with clever characterisation which reflects the time and place. Overall, the atmosphere of post war Europe is beautifully presented, and there is just the right balance between historical intrigue and romance.

 My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin UK Ltd for a digital review copy of this book

Guest Author ~ David Ebsworth

Jaffa and I are delighted to welcome 

David Ebsworth

Photo by kind permission of the author

David Ebsworth is the pen name of writer, Dave McCall, a former negotiator and Regional Secretary for the Transport & General Workers’ Union. He was born in Liverpool but has lived for the past thirty years in Wrexham with his wife, Ann. Since their retirement in 2008, the couple have spent about six months of each year in southern Spain. Dave began to write seriously in the following year, 2009. His debut novel, The Jacobites' Apprentice, was critically acclaimed by the Historical Novel Society who deemed it "worthy of a place on every historical fiction bookshelf."

But he's here today to talk about his new novel

The Assassin's Mark.

Published March 20th 2013 by Silverwood Books

Anyway, over to you, David.

Well first, thanks very much for welcoming me to the blog. It's a great privilege to be here. And especially, as you say, to tell you about my second novel, The Assassin’s Mark. It's set in 1938, towards the end of the Spanish Civil War, and follows the trials and tribulations of left-wing reporter Jack Telford, stuck on a tour bus with a very strange mixture of other travellers as he tries to uncover the hidden truths beneath the conflict. But, in the words of the synopsis, "Jack must contend first with his own gullibility, the tragic death of a fellow-passenger, capture by Republican guerrilleros, a final showdown at Spain's most holy shrine and the possibility that he has been badly betrayed. Betrayed and in serious danger."



Where did the idea come from for the book?

I was researching a novel about the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War and came across a paper on the Battlefield Tours that Franco launched – mainly for British tourists – before the war was even finished. It was too good a story to ignore.


What genre does your book fall under?

Historical thriller with a generous amount Agatha Christie and a splash of Rick Stein, seasoned with a pinch of the picaresque.


Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I always picture actors in my main character roles anyway so, in this case, British actor Christopher Eccleston as Jack Telford and Rachel Weisz as Valerie Carter-Holt.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A Christie-esque thriller set on a battlefield tour bus towards the end of the Spanish Civil War.


Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?

I spent a long time looking for agents and "traditional publishers" when I wrote Jacobites. A lot of people that I respect were very supportive about it but the agents I contacted were either too rude to even acknowledge me, or told me it wouldn't fit their lists, or liked it but weren't taking on any more new authors. Also, in meeting many other wordsmiths, I realised that there's a huge mythology about "traditional publishers". It's generally thought that, first, they pay their authors a generous advance; second, that they get your work automatically onto bookstore shelves; and, third, that they do all the marketing for you. It's a load of nonsense for all but a tiny minority. So, being passionate about my writing, and having market-tested a bit, I decided to go "independent", publishing with the help of SilverWood Books (www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk) and using their high quality professional backing (registrations, typesetting, design, proofing, etc.) but using my own editor (the inimitable Jo Field) and jacket cover graphic designer (the indefatigable and innovative Cathy Helms). I’ve found it a fantastic way for a new writer to get published and I love the buzz of doing my own marketing.



How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I started to write in February 2011 and finished the first draft (180,000 words) in October that year – then travelled with it through all its locations in Northern Spain to check the “feel” and complete the first re-write (168,000 words). The final version is 152,000 words.



What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

C J Sansom’s Winter in Madrid; Dave Boling’s Guernica; Rebecca Pawel’s Death of a Nationalist; Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls.



Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Long list, I'm afraid. Old colleagues from the trade unions like Jack Jones and Frank Deagan from whom I first learned about the “real” experience of the Spanish Civil War. Spanish family friends who lived through the war and Franco’s repression that followed it. Wonderful historians like Antony Beevor and Paul Preston who've never lost sight of the Spanish Civil War’s significance for all of us. Professor Sandie Holguín who introduced me to the bus tours that feature centrally in the story.


What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

The Spanish Civil War is badly neglected by English-language fiction writers so, at one level, I wanted the novel to be informative as well as entertaining. I’d like it to be a “must” for all those who already have an affection for Spain and maybe want to learn a bit more about the country’s history and culture – while still being able to sit on a beach with a good pot-boiler and need to keep “turning the pages.”

For more about David's previous novel, The Jacobites’ Apprentice, and other relevant information, you can visit his main website... www.davidebsworth.com

Published March 12th 2012 by SilverWood Books

Jaffareadstoo Review of The Assassin's Mark by David Ebsworth

When Jack Telford, a maverick news reporter, decides to take a tour of the Spanish battlefields in September of 1938, the Spanish Civil War has been raging for two years. His fellow travellers on the war route are a disparate group of individuals, who each have their own reasons for making this perilous journey, and yet Jack with his passion for peacekeeping, finds himself drawn into a maelstrom of political conflict.

General Franco’s mission to open up the Spanish battlefields, whilst war was still raging, is based on fact, and whilst keeping the historical integrity intact, what then follows is a Christie-esque thriller which abounds with deception, dishonesty and political skulduggery. At the core of The Assassin’s Mark is a murder mystery, with more than enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you turning the pages, and yet, it is in the fine attention to historical detail and in the clever characterisation where the story really comes alive. Such is the imagery and descriptive talent, I felt like I was transported back in time to the Spain of the 1930’s, to a country which was divided by war and political dishonesty.

This exciting story is flawlessly presented; most certainly there are noticeable shades of Agatha Christie, and even, I think,  generous helpings of Graeme Green, but there is also the undeniable talent of an author who not only loves his craft, but whose own distinct writing skill is evident in every word.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to my blog readers who enjoy well written and decisive historical fiction.

5*****

Thank you very much David for taking the time to visit our blog and for such an insightful look into the writing of your novel, The Assassin's Mark.

Jaffa and I wish you continued success with your writing career.

Wishlist Wednesday..

I am delighted to be part of wishlist Wednesday which is hosted by Dani at pen to paper

The idea is to post about one book each week that has been on your wishlist for some time, or maybe just added.

So what do you need to do to join in?

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.

Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.

Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.

Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of her post.

Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.

Harper
9 May 2013

My Wishlist Wednesday book 

is

The Sea Sisters

by 

Lucy Clarke

Two sisters, one life-changing journey…

There are some currents in the relationship between sisters that run so dark and so deep, it’s better for the people swimming on the surface never to know what’s beneath . . .

Katie’s carefully structured world is shattered by the news that her headstrong younger sister, Mia, has been found dead in Bali – and the police claim it was suicide.

With only the entries of Mia’s travel journal as her guide, Katie retraces the last few months of her sister’s life, and – page by page, country by country – begins to uncover the mystery surrounding her death.

What she discovers changes everything. But will her search for the truth push their sisterly bond – and Katie – to breaking point?

The Sea Sisters is a compelling story of the enduring connection between sisters.


Book blurb is from Goodreads

I love the book cover  and the book sounds intriguing. It is on my "pick it up when you see it at the library" wishlist!

Happy Birthday ~ William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

1564-1616

Whilst the actual date of Shakespeare's birth is not known, historians believe that he was born on or around April 23rd 1564,  we know from church records that he was baptised in the Holy Trinity Church on 26th April 1564. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a glove maker and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a local heiress. Shakespeare's early life is shrouded in mystery but we know that he married Anne Hathaway in 1582 in Worcester - and what then follows are the "lost years" when little is known of  Shakespeare's whereabouts.  It is believed that he went to London in the late 1580's and was certainly part of the theatre scene. By the early 1590s, documents show William Shakespeare was a managing partner in the Lord Chamberlain's Men, an acting company in London.

Shakespeare's House

Stratford-upon-Avon

The Complete Works

Comedy	History	Tragedy	Poetry
All's Well That Ends Well As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline Love's Labours Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives of Windsor The Merchant of Venice A Midsummer Night's Dream Much Ado About Nothing Pericles, Prince of Tyre Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Two Gentlemen of Verona Winter's Tale	Henry IV, part 1 Henry IV, part 2 Henry V Henry VI, part 1 Henry VI, part 2 Henry VI, part 3 Henry VIII King John Richard II Richard III	Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Hamlet Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus	The Sonnets A Lover's Complaint The Rape of Lucrece Venus and Adonis Funeral Elegy by W.S.

My favourite Shakespeare

~ Antony and Cleopatra, Act 2, Scene II The House of Lepidus ~

The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,

Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,

It beggar'd all description: she did lie

In her pavilion--cloth-of-gold of tissue--

O'er-picturing that Venus where we see

The fancy outwork nature: on each side her

Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,

With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem

To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,

And what they undid did.

**

~ A Midsummer's Nights Dream, Act 2, Scene I ~

I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,

Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,

Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,

With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:

There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,

Lull'd in these flowers with dances and delight;

**

~ The Merchant of Venice, Act 2,  Scene VII ~

All that glisters is not gold;

Often have you heard that told:

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold:

Gilded tombs do worms enfold.

Had you been as wise as bold,

Young in limbs, in judgment old,

Your answer had not been inscroll'd:

Fare you well; your suit is cold.

Cold, indeed; and labour lost:

Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost!

Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart

To take a tedious leave: thus losers part.

**