Review ~ Sisters of the Bruce 1292-1314 by J M Harvey

Troubadour Publishing
November 2013

Set in late thirteenth century Scotland, during the tumultuous time in history when the charismatic Bruce family played an important role in the rich tapestry of Scottish history, this story had so much potential. However, it was altogether lacking in political punch and I felt that the story meandered too much around inconsequential chit chat, in the form of correspondence, between the sisters. In effect, what was needed was a livelier rendition of this troubled historical period, which never actually materialised within the main body of the story. The writing mainly appears quite ‘flat’ and at times seems as though the author merely added everything she knew about the period without considering how this information would be perceived within the story itself.

It’s been a long time since I opened a book which I so wanted to like, but which in the end, I'm sad to say, left me feeling as uninspired as the narration.

My thanks to NetGalley and Troubadour Publishing for my copy of this book.

Review - Ace, King, Knave by Maria McCann

Faber and Faber
November 2013

Eighteenth century London is vividly recreated in this charismatic story about the fortunes, and multiple misfortunes, of a trio of disparate people. There is the newly-wed Sophie who is married to the charismatic Mr Zedland, who keeps her own secrets well hidden. A former bawdy prostitute, Betsy- Anne Blore who runs her second hand goods shop with an enviable entrepreneurial skill, and also Fortune, who is the Zedland’s mismanaged slave.

On the surface, the lives of these three people should never intertwine, but Maria McCann has, with great panache, weaved together  a story which will gradually reveal the heaving hotchpotch of the great, and it must be said, the mightily unwashed of 1760s London. From the gin-soaked alleys, which are reminiscent of a Hogarth engraving, through to the genteel drawing rooms of the English upper class, no stone is left unturned, and as these proverbial stones are uncovered, a shocking story of vile corruption, and filth at the highest level, is revealed.

Ultimately, this is a good romp through Hanoverian England, and as always the author manipulates the narrative with considerable ease, blending authenticity with dramatic storytelling. Littered throughout is a colourful vocabulary which infuses such a tangible realism, that I felt like I had spent time wandering London, with a set of wastrels, vagabonds, prostitutes and grave-robbers.

If you like colourful and realistic historical fiction then I am sure that this story will appeal enough to warrant giving it a try.

Thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for my review copy of this book

In conversation with Jane B. Night....

I am delighted to welcome to Jaffareadstoo

Jane B. Night

Author of

Published by Jane B Night
March 2013

*~Welcome Jane~*

What is it about your writing that will pique the reader’s interest?

I think that readers always enjoy a good story and lovable characters. I strive for that above all else. I also try to make my stories comfortable to read but different from other books the reader has read. 

Educating Autumn is a love story that is also a social commentary. It is primarily about a man and a woman falling in love with each other. But, on a deeper level it deals with women's rights and gender roles in society. 

What can you tell us about Educating Autumn that won't give too much away?

Educating Autumn is a romance that takes place in the future but has the feel of a historic romance. 

Autumn is sold to Orion as her wife and she has no idea why he wants her when other men don't. At first, she is terrified of him. But, slowly, she finds that he is exactly the right man for her to love.

 When do you find the time to write, and do you have a favourite place to do your writing?

I work full time and am a busy mom so writing time is hard to come by.

I usually arrive an hour early at work and sit in the cafeteria to write. I write on my lunch break as well. Editing is usually done in the evenings if my kids are absorbed in Sesame Street or Barney.

The book world is very competitive – how do you get your book noticed?

I write a book I hope people will enjoy. I give out free copies through giveaways and I hope that people will enjoy my book so much that they recommend it to friends.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?  

Yes. I wrote my first romance "novel" when I was in fourth grade.  

Which writers have inspired you?

 I love so many writers. My biggest influences have been Mary Balogh, Virginia Henley, Anne Rice, and Janette Oke.

*~*

Thank you Jo for the questions!

Jane

Visit my webpage: http://www.authorjanebnight.webs.com 

Visit my Amazon Author's page: https://www.amazon.com/author/janebnight
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneBNight
Follow me on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012589.Jane_B_Night  

It's been a delight to feature Jane on our blog. Jaffa and I wish you much success with your writing career

***

My thoughts on Educating Autumn

Educating Autumn is set some time in the future when the world has been devastated by World War III.  In the aftermath of this war only 1000 people survive to break away and form three new countries. In one of these countries, Josiathan, the belief is that the war was caused by the sinfulness of women, and because of this the women are kept largely suppressed. Born into this society, Autumn Clare, begins to question this authority and is determined to stand up for herself. When she is sold in marriage to Orion, a man who she has never met, Autumn has to learn not just to adjust, but also to risk trusting in someone else.

I liked the premise of the story, and even though it is set sometime in a distant future, it is not too futuristic to become unbelievable. The author has created a credible world and has explored a place where the repression of women is considered entirely normal. I liked how she developed her main characters and as the story progresses a real rapport starts to develop between Autumn and Orion, and it becomes interesting to see how their relationship will develop.

Overall, this is an interesting and credible debut novel and I am sure that the author will continue to go from strength to strength in subsequent writing.

**There is a free promotion  of Jane's latest book Singing the Last Song during the weekend of 29/30 November on Amazon.com**

***

  

Author Blog Tour ~ Alison Morton

I am delighted to welcome Alison Morton

and to be part of her PERFIDITAS

Blog Tour 2013

 Author of PERFIDITAS

Silverwood Books

October 2013

www.alison-morton.com @alison_morton

Author of INCEPTIO, an alternate history thriller published by SilverWood Books in March 2013

Shortlisted for the 2013 International Rubery Book Award B.R.A.G. MedallionTM honoree

*~ Alison - welcome to Jaffareadstoo~*

Where did the idea for the Roma Nova series come from?

I was eleven and on holiday in north-east Spain. Fascinated by the Roman mosaics in Ampurias, I wanted to know who had made them, whose houses they were in, who had walked on them.

After my father explained about traders, senators, power and families, I tilted my head to one side and asked him, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the men?” Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe early feminism surfacing or maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartass question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?”

Real life intervened (school, university, career, military, marriage, parenthood, business ownership, move to France), but the idea bubbled away in my mind. My mind was morphing the setting of ancient Rome into a new type of Rome, a state that survived the dissolution of the Western Roman Empire into the 21st century, but retaining its Roman identity. And one where the social structure changed; women were going to be leading society.

What is it about PERFIDITAS that will pique the reader's interest?

Readers of the first book in the series, INCEPTIO, said they loved the mix of history, mystery, action adventure and romance of Roma Nova; all those elements are in PERFIDITAS, but in different ways.

PERFIDITAS, although the second in the series, can be read as a stand-alone story or as a sequel. As it’s set in an imaginary Roman country where women rule, there’s a feminist streak running through. The heroine, Carina, is an officer in the 21st century Praetorian Guard. Yes, she’s tough and sassy but vulnerable; she’s almost overwhelmed by the betrayals surrounding her. And apart from trying to stop conspirators determined to overthrow the government, she’s torn by personal dilemmas which I think will resonate with readers.

PERFIDITAS has as many plot twists and turns as INCEPTIO so I hope readers will be surprised and intrigued.

PERFIDITAS is the second book in the Roma Nova series – did you feel more of an obligation to make this book even better than the first?

I think all writers strive to make their following book better than the previous one! Keeping the story lively without losing the plot – literally – is crucial as is attention to detail. And in a series, it’s important to develop the characters in their personal stories as well as drive the action forward.

How much research did you do for the book, and did anything surprise you?

I built on the research I had accumulated for INCEPTIO. Authenticity and plausibility are crucial for an imagined setting; you can’t Google it or load the Wikipedia page! But inventing a country doesn’t mean you can throw any old facts into your book; they have to hang together in a logic way. I wanted to give readers connections between ancient Rome and the 21st century. For instance, I’ve used the 4th century Roman coinage name, solidus, for the Roma Nova currency, but today they have notes, debit cards and internet banking.

Can you tell us if there are more Roma Nova books planned?

Haha! Yes, indeed there are. I’m working on SUCCESSIO which is a slight play on words which in Latin can mean “what happens next” as well as “the next generation”.

After that, we go back a little in Roma Nova history for the following three books.

For a glimpse of what Roma Nova may look like, click here…

 

http://alison-morton.com/roma-nova/roma-nova-what-it-could-look-like/

And finally:

Who, or what are your main literary influences?

I read a lot and across different genres, so that’s a really hard question to answer. Rosemary Sutcliff’s Eagle of the Ninth must be the first Roman novel I ever read. It terrified and thrilled me at the same time - I wanted more! Then followed a steady diet of spy and adventure stories from the Simon Templar “Saint” series right up to William Boyd’s Restless and Ian Rankin’s Rebus, plus historical fiction from Jean Plaidy to Elizabeth Chadwick and Lindsey Davis via Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.

I’ve just finished Simon Scarrow’s Blood Crows, the latest of his Macro and Cato Roman Army novels. Simon very kindly gave me a lovely endorsement for PERFIDITAS and I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Harrogate History Festival last month.

Read about Alison's meeting with Simon Scarrow here

Alison is very kindly offering a signed copy of PERFIDITAS to one lucky winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My review of Perfiditas

As good, if not better, than the first...

Perfiditas is the clever continuation of the story which began in Inceptio, and follows the story of Captain Carina Mitela of the Praetorian Guard Special Forces as she continues her life with her family in Roma Nova. As always, the momentum of the narrative never falters and the pace continues with a fast and furious story of conspiracy, treachery and betrayal at the highest level.

What I like best about this series is the author’s fine attention to detail and her uncanny ability of, not just creating an altogether alternate history, but also of maintaining the status quo in a story which abounds with excitement and enthusiasm. The characters become quite real in your mind, and even though deep down you know that Roma Nova doesn’t exist beyond the author’s imagination, there is a real temptation to hop on a plane and go find the place for yourself.

There is always the danger that the second book in a series will be a bit of a letdown, either the plot doesn’t feel as strong, or the development of the characters can seem a little insipid, however, there is no such fear with Perfiditas, if anything the plot this time is stronger and more succinct and you can sense that the author has a real emotional commitment to the characters and their lives.

I am sure that in the hands of this very capable author, the alternate world of Roma Nova will continue to go from strength to strength, and I look forward to being an enthusiastic traveller on the Roma Nova journey for quite some time.

*~ Thank you so much Alison for spending time with us ~*

Jaffa and I have really enjoyed hosting this interview and look forward to many more trips to Roma Nova.

***

In conversation with Deborah Swift...

I am delighted to welcome back

Deborah Swift

Author of 

Pan
25 October 2013

*~Welcome Deborah~*

What is it about A Divided Inheritance that will pique the reader’s interest? 

The story has a wide historical sweep that will transport the reader from the foggy, winding London streets to the vibrant cathedral squares of Golden Age Seville. The novel explores family relationships and how love and trust develop through shared experiences, so that our real 'family' might not be just our blood relations.

This book takes the reader to Spain - how important is location to your story?

I wanted to contrast the historical and religious contexts of the two countries. In England, in the time just after The Gunpowder Plot, Catholics were persecuted, and to hold a Mass was to risk imprisonment and hefty fines. Elspet Leviston's priest has to hide in the priest hole and is continually on the run from household to household.

But in Spain, not to be Catholic was an offence punishable by death. I wondered what would happen if Elspet was forced to go from one country to the other. Also, in Spain the Inquisition were still active, and it was the Morisco population that were persecuted. Their story forms a backdrop to the latter part of the book, moving the plot forward because Elspet and Zachary, her cousin, become embroiled in their plight. 

As well, the two cultures allowed me to explore themes about what freedom feels like - Zachary feels free when he trains at the fencing school, Luisa when she is dancing Flamenco, and Elspet when she is giving up her restrictive and conventional English clothing for simpler attire.

When researching A Divided Inheritance did you discover anything which surprised you?

I was surprised by the fact that about 400,000 of the Spanish population - many of whom had been there for generations, were expelled from Spain. They were given only a few days notice to leave their homes, their friends and their livelihoods. It was an act of ethnic cleansing I had never heard of before. As soon as I came across it in my research I felt it was a story that deserved to be told.

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

I love the 17th century as it was a time of enormous change in English history, and also the Victorian era, the great age of Industrialisation, though I haven't yet written a book set in Victorian times.

At which event in history would you like to be a fly on the wall and why? 

Definitely the death of the Princes in the Tower! It is one of those classic whodunnits of history. As long as I was definitely a fly, that is, and not someone likely to need to be silenced!

Or I'd like to watch Shakespeare put pen to paper and write Hamlet. Just to see him as a writer rather than an icon. I'd also like the contents of his waste paper basket!

Can you tell us if you have another novel planned?

I have been working on a novel set in World War II which is finished - working title 'Past Encounters' - and I'm also writing a Teen fiction book set during the English Civil War.

Many thanks, Jo and Jaffa for hosting me.

Deborah

Deborah has very kindly offered a copy of A Divided Inheritance to one lucky UK winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deborah - it's always a great pleasure to have you visit our blog.

Jaffa and I hope you will come back and see us again soon.

***

My thoughts on A Divided Inheritance

London 1609...

A Divided Inheritance is set initially in Jacobean England when distrust of family, neighbour and friend had reached its zenith. Religious persecution was rife throughout Europe and in England hidey holes for Catholic priests could be found in the most illicit of places. Helping to run the family lace business with her father, Nathaniel, Elspet Leviston’s life is about to be turned completely upside down by the arrival of her mysterious cousin Zachary Deane who has his own ideas for the family business. When Nathaniel dies unexpectedly, Elspet and Zachary are forced into a battle of will to determine which of them will have the inheritance of Leviston’s Lace. However, Zachary has disappeared into Spain, and Elspet has only a limited amount of time to track him down, before she risks losing everything she and her father worked so hard to attain.

As with Deborah Swift’s previous novels, the research and fine attention to detail is impeccable. The Jacobean world is revealed as a scheming hotchpotch of family rivalry and religious persecution which takes the reader from the stark and drear world of Jacobean London, through to the sweltering heat and colour of Catholic Spain, when the inquisition lingered on corners and the dreadful expulsion of Muslims  forced families apart in the most  horrendous of circumstances.

Initially, the book appears to get off to a slow start with little seeming to happen, but then about a third of the way into the story, and particularly when the focus shifts to Spain, the narration becomes livelier. The strength of the story telling and the vivid imagery of seventeenth century Seville is quite compelling. The day to day life in Spain made for fascinating reading; I especially liked the revealing of intricate details of swordsmanship at the fencing school.

European history and particularly Spanish history is not an area I am familiar with, so to have a story which seeks to shed light on some of the more disturbing events that happened in seventeenth century Spain whilst at the time keeping control of an intricate and complex family drama, made this an enjoyable and fascinating read.

I am sure that fans of well written and factually accurate historical fiction will love it as much as I did.

***

Review ~ The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin

Corazon Books

2014

The Property of a Gentleman was originally published in 1974 and forms part of the extensive catalogue of historical/romantic suspense stories which were written by Catherine Gaskin during her forty years as a novelist, when she became known as “The Queen of Storytellers” and “The Girl with the Golden Pen.” 

Sent from a London auction house, Jo Roswell, and her companion Gerald Stanton visit the stately home of the Earl of Askew, in the English Lake District. Their mission is to evaluate the historic contents with a view to a possible sale of antiquities. However, once at the house they become enthralled by the history, and also of the tragic story of the ill fated Spanish woman who  lived in the house centuries before and of the infamous diamond, La Española, which exerts a sinister curse over all who come into contact with it.

I half expected this story to have lost some of its charm over the years and whilst parts of it can appear a little out-moded, it is still a very good story and quickly draws you into the whole concept of the slightly dilapidated country house, the reluctant Earl and his enigmatic mistress, and the brooding gloom of the faithful old retainers who knows far more than they should about the history of the house and contents.

This story encompasses all that is great about Catherine Gaskin's writing, and even forty years on from its publication date ,The Property of a Gentleman remains as atmospheric and compelling as when it was first published. 

The Property of a Gentleman is available as an ebook for the first time - it is published on Thursday 5th December 2013

My thanks to Corazon Books for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its publication

***

Christmas with Heart Charity Competition

To celebrate the publication of The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin, Corazon Books are running a Christmas competition for readers.

Our competition is one with a difference and, we think, in the true spirit of Christmas. We will send a donation of £50 to a charity of the winner’s choice, as a special gift from us and our winning reader!

To be in with a chance to win, simple email your answer to the question below to editor [at] greatstorieswithheart.com


Q) In The Property of a Gentleman, what is the name of the ancient house which is home to Robert, the Earl of Askew?

Clue: check out the link below! Please nominate your chosen charity and include a link to their website with your entry.


The deadline for entries is midnight on Friday 20th December. The winner will be notified by email on Monday 23rd December.

For full details, go to: http://www.greatstorieswithheart.com/christmas-with-heart/

The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman

Penguin
Expected publication
February 2014

From the beginning of the book we know that the narrator, Rachel has recently died and is inhabiting a form of private purgatory where she can view her loved ones as if from afar but who is unable to make any sort of physical contact with them. Through Rachel’s unique form of analysis we meet with her grieving husband, Max and their bewildered seven year old daughter Ellie, both of whom are still struggling to deal with the aftermath of Rachel’s unexpected death.

What then follows is the story of how the grieving process evolves and even though well meaning friends feel that Max should be able to move on, somehow ‘moving on’ isn’t as important as remembering what has been lost in the first place. Despite the premise of the book being controlled by the feelings evoked around death and dying, it isn’t always a sad story, there are moments when the book is quite uplifting.

Ultimately, however, this is a story about what happens to those who are left behind following the death of a loved one, and is testament to how everyone experiences grief and loss in quite different ways. There are subtle chapter references to the five stages of grief first recounted by the eminent American physician, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, whose book ‘On Death and Dying’ is still the definitive work on the grieving process.

The author has captured the emotional aspect of grief very well and with a subtle hand has explored the vagaries of loss in an appealing and eloquent way. The book is very readable and gets the message across without ever resorting to over sentimentality. It is a commendable debut novel, and I look forward with interest to more books from this talented author.

My thanks to Real Readers and Penguin for the advance copy of this book to read and review