My author in the spotlight is ...Carol Cooper

I am delighted to welcome 

Dr. Carol Cooper

Author of

One Night at the Jacaranda

November 2013

*~Carol ~ welcome to jaffareadstoo ~*

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for One Night at the Jacaranda?

I was sitting on a plane with a gin and tonic, bound for New York and my father's funeral, when the idea for a plot popped into my head. So  I began scribbling on the paper napkin.  I then worked on the story over the next few months. Maybe the spur was the fact that my father had always wanted to write, though he never did, apart from a couple of chapters in books on life insurance.  It took me a while to finish One Night at the Jacaranda because I had commissions for two non-fiction books around that time, but I'm glad I persevered.  Dad would have been proud of me, even if the novel itself would have shocked him.

What do you love about writing?

I love using words, and I relish the challenge of using ordinary words to say extraordinary things.  Plus you can write anytime, even if feeling miserable. Writing is the perfect escape when things aren't going my way.

Do you write stories for yourself, or other people?

A bit of both.  Of course, I write stories that I hope people like and will identify with.  But it also has to be the kind of story I'd most like to read myself.  The legendary crime writer Ruth Rendell once told me that if your own writing makes you cry or gets you aroused, then you know you've hit the spot.

What books do you like to read?

I like fiction with colourful characters that I can care about, with realistic dialogue, and a pacy plot that keeps me on my toes.  If there are long passages of description, I usually skim over them.  I read a lot of chick-lit as well as Kate Atkinson, Tony Parsons and Harlan Coben. They're all master story-tellers, and just as importantly they know when to stop.

What next?

Many readers have commented that the characters in One Night at the Jacaranda cry out to have their lives play out in another novel.  I'm therefore working on a sequel, but there's also a prequel simmering away in my head.  It will go back 15 years, to when some of the characters were students.  I loved being at university, so there are loads of ideas for this bubbling away already.

Thank you so much for joining us today Carol, Jaffa and I look forward to seeing the sequel to 

One Night at the Jacaranda.

***

My Thoughts on One Night at the Jacaranda

During the eponymous one night at the Jacaranda, four very different individuals come together for a speed dating evening. In three minute conversation bursts, lives are laid bare, hidden hopes, fears and failings are brushed away, and the bright veneer of high expectation gathers momentum. The observation of such a night creates fodder for undercover journalist Harriet, who is only there to raise enough copy for her next piece of writing, and yet unwittingly gets drawn into the whole premise of what happens next.

The story is cleverly written and exposes the lives of the characters as they slowly interact in the aftermath of their first meeting, and although on the surface they have nothing in common, gradually common bonds are realised and as the different strands of the story come together, what is revealed are lives blighted by secrets, lies, hidden terrors and unfulfilled dreams.

My initial impression of the story was that it would be a light and frothy chick lit type of romance but I couldn't have been more wrong. What I got was a warm-hearted and compassionate story about the vagaries of modern life, written in a lively and fun style. Undoubtedly, the writer has a real skill with words, her ability to tell a good story really shines through and her affection for, and understanding of, her characters make this a commendable debut novel.

Recommended.

*~*~*

Review ~ Guilty by Jane Bidder

Accent Press
January 2014

As the result of a momentary lapse in concentration, Simon Mills causes the death, by dangerous driving, of a family friend. What then follows is a cautionary story of the resulting consequences, when Simon, once a successful solicitor, is sent to prison to atone for his crime. The story focuses on the very real problems of what happens when families are split apart. For those who live on the outside, life will never be the same again, and Claire, Simon’s wife, is forced to make some really harsh decisions which impact on both herself and her son, Ben. Prison life is no bed of roses either, and Simon is constantly plagued by guilt as he is forced to recognise his own culpability.

Written in two distinct parts; the first deals with Simon’s time in prison, the second when he is eventually released, both stories focus on the alternate viewpoints of Simon and Claire and make for compelling reading. The author writes with great conviction so that life ‘inside’ really comes alive with all its rules, regulations, petty squabbles and insidious boredom. Equally compelling is the story of Claire’s overwhelming struggle on the outside, as she copes with the crisis of losing everything she once considered important.

Overall, this was a compelling and thought provoking read. The story flows really well, and neither patronises nor sensationalises what is happening on both the inside and the outside, and yet successfully serves as a warning that this really could happen to anyone.

Recommended.

My thanks to Accent Press for my ecopy of this book.

Guilty is out now in Paperback and on Kindle

*~*~*

Sunday War Poets...

Thomas Hardy

(1840-1928)

"MEN WHO MARCH AWAY"

(Song of the Soldiers)

WHAT of the faith and fire within us  Men who march away  Ere the barn-cocks say  Night is growing grey, To hazards whence no tears can win us; What of the faith and fire within us Men who march away! Is it a purblind prank, O think you, Friend with the musing eye Who watch us stepping by, With doubt and dolorous sigh? Can much pondering so hoodwink you? Is it a purblind prank, O think you, Friend with the musing eye? Nay. We see well what we are doing. Though some may not see— Dalliers as they be— England's need are we; Her distress would leave us rueing: Nay. We well see what we are doing! Though some may not see! In our heart of hearts believing Victory crowns the just, And that braggarts must Surely bite the dust, Press we to the field ungrieving, In our heart of hearts believing Victory crowns the just. Hence the faith and fire within us Men who march away Ere the barn-cocks say Night is growing grey, To hazards whence no tears can win us; Hence the faith and fire within us Men who march away. Thomas Hardy September 5, 1914. *** Although known for his Wessex inspired classic fiction, Thomas Hardy considered himself to be a poet and is now considered to be one of the greatest twentieth century poets. Men Who March Away was written in September 1914 at the very start of the Great War when English optimism was running high and the war was fully expected to be over 'by Christmas'. Hardy was no stranger to war poetry and had penned several during the earlier Boer War - he took a pragmatic approach to conflict and Men Who March Away is seen as a rallying cry. *~*~*

Some Good news....

~*Some good news to share ~*

I've been closely involved with the Historical Novel Society as one of their Indie reviewers for some time.  I'm delighted to say that I have been invited to help out as part of their UK editorial team

as

 HNS UK Indie Review Assistant Editor

I'm excited to be able to do what I can to help promote the wonderful stories of those Indie authors whose work continues to fascinate and enthral me...

Historical Novel Society Indie Reviews

***

Review ~ The Ruby Slippers by Keir Alexander

Published by Corsair
20th March 2014

This accomplished debut novel uncovers the minutiae of daily life and reveals the insatiability of greed, the sadness of family secrets and the destructive nature of overwhelming regret.

The story opens during the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Manhattan.  Old Rosa and her dog Barrell, meander through the crowds leaving behind a vile aroma of mouldering humanity. At a downtown Deli, Michael Marcinkus, the effusive proprietor, prepares a Macchiato for his customer. James is a man whose sadness permeates through to the bread, bagels and bakery goods and as he sips his macchiato, he mourns the loss of his lover. Three world-weary youths hangout outside a record store; bored and jaded they speculate on those whose lives interconnect with their own. The humiliation of hauling his bulk from the toilet seat to his wheelchair causes Malachi McBride to take his anger and frustration out on his nursemaid, Inez. Meanwhile, over a hundred miles away in Riverhead, Long Island a teenage girl yearns for something which is sadly out of her reach.

On the surface this cast of disparate characters should have absolutely no need to interact but gradually as the story unfolds, the lasting legacy of a pair of ruby slippers will have a profound effect on the lives of this contrasting group of individuals.

I found the story remarkably easy to read and very quickly became immersed in the lives of those who feature strongly in the story. There is a fine style to the writing with some moments of sheer brilliance and the conjured imagery goes from the hustle and bustle of a small town deli, to the squalid and foetid ambience of a hoarder’s hovel with comparable ease.

Overall, I found that I had a real connection with the characters, some I liked more than others but throughout the novel, the need to find out just a little bit more kept me turning the pages with real enjoyment.

I read this book as part of the lovereading.co.uk readers review panel.

Find more early reviews of this book

here

The Ruby Slippers will be available from all good book shops from 20th March 2014

Update 2016

Delighted to see a quote from Jaffareadstoo in the paperback copy of

The Ruby Slippers

~***~

Review ~ Gretel and the Dark by Eliza Granville

Hamish Hamiliton
An imprint of Penguin UK
February 6 2014

This multi faceted story takes the concept of dark and turns it completely on its head. With a dual time setting the story takes us from fin-de-siècle Vienna in 1899 and follows the story of psychoanalyst, Josef Bruer’s quest to determine the identity of an extremely disturbed young woman who comes into his care. Years later, in Germany we meet Krysta, a little girl, who loses herself in the fairy tales of the Pied Piper and Hansel and Gretel, as the world around her goes mad.

The enduring symbolism of fairy tales forms the basis for this very dark story which takes us from the bleak awareness of mental incapacity, through to the terrors associated with Nazi Germany and yet it does so with a lightness of touch which belies the strength of its narrative. There is no doubt that the book gets its message across, those readers who are have read The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, will already be aware of innocuous terminology hiding something deeper and ultimately far more sinister. To dig any deeper into the overriding message of the book would be to give away far too much of the whole premise of the story and to discuss more of plot and malice would be to do the book and the author a complete disservice.

The book is complex, the author’s use of imagery and her ability to weave together two seemingly unrelated plots is commendable and quite enthralling, although it does take a while to get used to the style of writing and I can imagine that some people may want to give up early on. My advice is to stick at it and as the story starts to be revealed and the strands that weave the story together become entangled, it really does become compelling reading.

Recommended Read.

My thanks to Anna Ridley and Celeste Ward-Best at Penguin Books UK for my advance copy of this book and for allowing me access to the promotional video.

***

About the Author

Eliza Granville was born in Worcester and currently lives in Bath. She has had a life-long fascination with the enduring quality of fairy tales and their symbolism, and the idea for Gretel and the Dark was sparked when she became interested in the emphasis placed on these stories during the Third Reich.

~*~*~

Review~ The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths

Quercus Books
6 February 2014

When forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway uncovers a set of bones during an archaeological dig at Norwich Castle, they are believed to be those of the notorious Mother Hook, a nineteenth century baby farmer turned child murderer. The dig attracts the attention of a documentary film crew whose interest in 'women who kill' forms the basis for a voyeuristic television programme. At the same time, DCI Harry Nelson and his team of detectives are facing the worst of crimes as children are being inexplicably abducted. What then follows is which really focuses on human emotion.

This series of crime novels, this is currently number six in the pecking order, really do go from strength to strength and the ongoing relationship between Ruth Galloway and DCI Harry Nelson, as they attempt to make the best of their shared parental responsibilities, makes for lively and fascinating reading. As always the character analysis is incredibly specific, everyone is so utterly believable that you really could stumble upon them as they go about their daily business in Norwich and surrounding area. The police procedure feels authentic, and I am sure there are many CID teams who share the same amount of irreverent banter but who come together as fierce as lions when one of their own is threatened.

I devour these stories in one sitting, yes...they really are that good, and the need to find out just a little bit more will keep me enthralled in this series just as long as Ms Griffiths keeps them coming.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for allowing me a copy of this book in advance of its publication.

*~*~*

About the Author

Elly Griffiths was born in London. She read English at King's College, London and worked in publishing for many years. Her crime novels are based in Norfolk and feature Dr Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist. She lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist and their two children.