Book Review ~ Under the Bridge by Jack Byrne

 

Northodox Press 
2021

Liverpool Mysteries #1

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

2004 - The discovery of a skeleton in the Liverpool docklands unearths long buried secrets. Reporter, Anne McCarthy, is keen to prove herself and dives into the case with abandon where she finds Michael, an old Irish caretaker who knows far more than he’s letting on and may have a connection to the body.

Meanwhile, Vinny Doyle, is starting a postgrad degree, researching Liverpool’s immigrant history and a burgeoning Scouse identity. But Vinny has been neglecting his own family history and stranger Michael might know about his father's disappearance in the 70s.

1955 - Escaping violence in Ireland and fresh off the boat, Michael falls in with Wicklow boys Jack Power and Paddy Doyle, who smuggle contraband through the docks putting them at odds with unions while they rally the dock workers against the rackets and the strikebreakers. A story of corruption, secret police, and sectarianism slowly unravels. But will the truth out?

As the conflict heightens, Michael questions the life sprawling out ahead of him. In the present, Anne races to solve the mystery, but is she prepared for what she’ll find?

My Review..

The discovery of human remains on a Liverpool building site offers local newspaper reporter, Anne McCarthy, the chance to do a bit of investigative work however, researching her article for the The Chronicle brings Anne into contact with those who wish the skeletal remains had never been unearthed. Together with her friend, Vinny Doyle, who is trying to find out more about his Irish/Scouse identity, they try to put together the pieces of a complicated puzzle, which dates back to 1955. 

The mystery at the heart of the novel is well thought out and I enjoyed learning more about Liverpool's rich heritage and the influx of Irish immigrants who have added their own unique history to this complex city. I found the story particularly relevant as my own family arrived via the port of Liverpool, from Co. Wicklow in Ireland, in order to make a new start in the North West of England.

This dual time story moves effortlessly between time frames and I felt equally at home in the complicated Liverpool of the nineteen fifties as I did in the more modern interpretation of the city. The author, himself a native of Liverpool, certainly knows his city well, and I felt like I had a knowledgeable guide as we went around the various locations all so realistically described it's as if you are walking the same streets as the characters who make this story all their own.

Under the Bridge is the first in a proposed series of four books and it certainly allows these Liverpool  mysteries to get off to a fine start. I look forward to seeing where this talented author will go next with this journey into a fascinating city and the people who call it home.

Best Read with... A bowl of lob scouse and a pint of half and half..

About the Author

Twitter: @jackbyrnewriter #UnderTheBridge

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📖 Book Review ~ Catch as Catch Can by Malcolm Hollingdrake

 

Hobeck Books
April 2021

The Merseyside Crime Series #1

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

A mutilated body apparently washed up on a windswept beach…

A violent criminal gang preys on moped riders across the area…

A teenage girl is desperate to escape sexual exploitation…

It’s a tough introduction to Merseyside for Detective Inspector April Decent, who’s just arrived from her native Yorkshire. Together with new colleague Skeeter Warlock, Decent quickly discovers there’s a sinister link between them all, one that will bring them face-to-face with some uncomfortable home truths.

Catch as Catch Can is the first in the Merseyside Crime Series from Malcolm Hollingdrake – bestselling author of the Harrogate Crime Series.

📖 My Thoughts..

Detective Inspector April Decent has her work cut out when she arrives in Merseyside to take over an investigative team of detectives who are already a tight knit group. However, the discovery of a mutilated body on the beach at Crosby only lends a sense of urgency to the department especially when links are discovered to a criminal gang who seem to be terrorizing the streets of Liverpool.

It's been great fun getting to know this interesting bunch of detectives who are not only embroiled in a complicated investigative case but who must also get to know how their new boss operates. Prominent in the team is the imaginatively named DS Skeeter Warlock, who along with DI April Decent doesn't suffer fools, and who, with the rest of the team, is equally determined to rid the Liverpool streets of the worst kind of villain, namely those who prey on the weak and vulnerable. 

The story moves strongly and swiftly, sometimes getting the perspective of the crime gangs as they go about their criminal activity, and also that of the investigative team as they do their best to bring the perpetrators to justice.

It has been exciting to spend time in Merseyside with this new crimes series with its setting in a city I know well and the beach in Crosby I have visited many times. Thankfully, I have never made a gruesome discovery but I enjoyed how the author brought Antony Gormley's Another Place to life with its shifting sands and ever changing atmosphere. The city of Liverpool, such an important character in the novel, comes vibrantly alive, the scouse sense of deprecating humour, the mean and moody streets and the intricate twists and turns, all add a sense of realism to the sinister activity which is affecting city life.

Well written, with a fine eye for detail and great local knowledge of this part of the North West, Catch as Catch Can gets this series off to a great start. I look forward to meeting DI Decent and DS Warlock again in Syn, the next book in the Merseyside Crime Series.

About the Author

You could say that the writing was clearly on the wall for anyone born in a library that they might aspire to be an author but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route.

Malcolm worked in education for many years, even teaching for a period in Cairo before he started writing, a challenge he had longed to tackle for more years than he cares to remember. He is the author of the popular Harrogate series featuring DCI Cyril Bennett along with this new Merseyside crime series.

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Twitter @MHollingdrake

Amazon UK

@HobeckBooks

Book Review ~ Pool of Life by Pete Trewin ☼

AIA Publishing
30 April 2020

Jack ‘Flash’ Gordon’s private investigation business in Liverpool is in trouble, what with staffing issues and changing technology. So when the ex-copper is commissioned by Sarah Gladwyn from an old Welsh family to investigate a series of threats and attacks from an anonymous assailant it seems like a lifeline. The stalker is obsessed with the family’s role in oppressing the local slate workers in Victorian times and stealing Welsh water for use in England. Sarah’s husband, Oliver Gladwyn, ex hippy traveller and now a green entrepreneur, plans to build a barrage across the Mersey and provide clean energy for Merseyside. You would have thought that the stalker would approve, but no.

It’s a great opportunity for Jack so what could possibly go wrong? How about murders, discovery of skeletons in cupboards, conspiracies, bent coppers, corrupt politicians and violent gangsters. And a terrorist threat to Liverpool’s water supply. Flash Gordon? He’ll need to be Jumping Jack Flash to get through this one.

What did I think about it..

The aptly named Jack 'Flash' Gordon runs a private investigation business in Liverpool, but things aren't going too well for Jack either personally or in his failing business. What Jack really needs is a big juicy case which will help to lift him, and his motley assortment of employees, out of the doldrums. When he is approached by the glamorous Sarah Gladwyn to investigate who is responsible for the vendetta against her family, it seems like the lifeline he and his business needs. However, complicating matters is Sarah's husband, Oliver, who, whilst determined to provide a sustainable source of green energy to Merseyside, has his own complicated agenda.

The city of Liverpool has a starring role in the novel, and the author uses his local knowledge to full advantage, bringing place and people to life. I especially enjoyed getting to know more about Jack Gordon, who, as an ex-cop, has more than enough traumatic stuff in his past to deal with, however, I think it is Jack's relationship with his colleagues where his personality shines through. I especially enjoy his interesting relationship with Mel Gibson, she is a feisty PI, who has a no nonsense approach to questioning suspects, and who offers Jack a friendly face and a listening ear.

From its exciting beginning the story unfolds quickly and we soon discover that there is never a dull moment for Jack Gordon, whether it be in tracking shady criminals who seem hellbent on taking him down, or out for a pub lunch with his belligerent father, trouble seems to follow Jack around, which, for an private investigator, can be something of a challenge.

The author writes well and keeps up a lively pace throughout the whole of this complicated crime story.  Filled with an assortment of bad guys, from bent coppers, to shady businessmen, Pool of Life is a lively tale of corruption and skulduggery which is made all the more interesting for being set in Liverpool, a city whose vibrant personality shines through and is as much a character in the novel as the people themselves.

About the Author

Pete Trewin writes neo-noir crime novels set in Merseyside and the north of England. The themes are dark but the stories are always served with a generous helping of black humour. My influences are as much films Get Carter, Point Blank, Chinatown as books but I have been inspired by writers ranging from Jim Thompson and Christopher Brookmyre to Joseph Conrad and Cormac McCarthy.

Website

Amazon UK

Hist Fic Saturday ~ Daughters of Liverpool by Kate Eastham

On Hist Fic Saturday

Let's go back to... Liverpool 1871

Penguin Books
August 2019
Nursing #3

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Shrouded in secrecy Alice Sampson gives birth to a beautiful baby girl.

But the former nurse's happiness is blighted by the knowledge that as a penniless, unwed mother, her future, and that of her child, can only be one of shame and disgrace.

Then a knock at the door brings a miracle: she is invited to return to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary and her beloved ward.

With the help of her friends and the welcome attentions of Reverend Seed, the hospital Chaplain, Alice slowly starts to rebuild her life.

But her hopes are shattered when her baby's father unexpectedly shows up to claim the child he knew nothing about.

Suddenly Alice is in danger of losing her baby, her position and her whole future . . .

What did I think about it..

Victorian Liverpool was a dangerous place to be for working girls and no woman was entirely safe from being picked up in the purge which raged through the city in the hopes of cleaning up the more salubrious areas.  Alice Sampson works as a housemaid in one of the brothels, quietly bringing up her baby girl, but when she gets caught up in the city's purge on prostitution, Alice realises that she must look to her own safety and that of her baby girl. Returning to her work as a trainee nurse at Liverpool Royal Infirmary opens up a whole new life for Alice, but her happiness it seems comes at a price.

This is now the third book in this Nursing series of books which follows the fortunes of a group of young women who came to the city in order to train as Nightingale nurses. This third book continues the nursing theme with a compassionate look at the struggles of being an unmarried mother and of the difficulty of finding a place in a society which is far from generous to working women. Even though I haven't read the first two books in the series I picked up the story very easily and those characters who, I think, have been consistent throughout all of the books begin to feel familiar. I was quickly interested in the way the story evolved. 

The author brings Victorian Liverpool alive in the imagination especially the difficulties of being a single woman. The story highlights the wider social issues, particularly about the rights for women and mentions the pioneer, Josephine Butler, who did so much to fight against the violation of women in a society which viewed all working women as being just one short step away from prostitution.

Alice's emotional journey as young unmarried mother, her endeavour to become a good nurse, and the difficulties she faces in her personal life make this a warm and compassionate story.

About the Author

Kate Eastham trained as a nurse and midwife on the Nightingale wards of Preston Royal Infirmary. She has well over thirty years of experience working in hospital, residential and hospice care. Born and bred in Lancashire, she is married with three grown-up children and one grandchild. Always reading, she went on to gain a degree in English Literature and was inspired to write after researching the history of nursing and her own family history, with its roots in Liverpool, northern mill towns and rural Lancashire.

Close to Home ~ Caroline Wallace

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.   

Please welcome North West Writer

Caroline Wallace

Hi and welcome to Jaffareadstoo, Caroline and thank you for spending time with us today...

Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

Back in 2005 I was writing in secret. No one had read any of my writing, and the thought of anyone reading my words terrified me. I was in my second year of a PhD, studying linguistics, but really all I wanted to do was write. One day I watched a repeat of Richard and Judy. They talked about a ‘nearly woman’, an individual who never quite finished anything. I identified with the label. I wanted to write a novel, but I was doing nothing about it; I was studying, yet no longer enthused. Within the following two weeks, I gave up my PhD and enrolled on an MA in Creative Writing. The novel that I wrote over the next year was published in 2007. So, although I think it’s always difficult to describe yourself, I’d possibly say that I’m easily influenced by all things Richard and Judy, that I’m a novelist with two names (Caroline Wallace and Caroline Smailes), an editor, an occasional lecturer, a mum and that I’m ridiculously good at Battleship.

Your books are written in North West England – how have the people and its landscape shaped your stories?

I arrived in Liverpool as a student in 1993, searching for somewhere to belong and longing for a sense of home. I was welcomed, embraced, accepted and never judged. Liverpool saved me. I don’t think there’s another place in this world where I could be this me. This area is full of stories, humour and heart. The people and the landscape have shaped me, we’ve altered and grown together over the years. The Liverpool I met in 1993 has transformed, but the essence remains untouched. Liverpool is defiant and determined, proud and bold; it has many stories to tell.

In your book, The Finding of Martha Lost, you feature Lime Street Station in Liverpool. What was it about this venue that helped you to create Martha’s story so visibly?

Black Swan
18 May 2017

I’ve always been obsessed with arrivals, departures and the raw emotion that can be found in airports and railway stations. Originally, I was going to set the novel in Paris, but a chance encounter with a grumpy lost property office worker in Lime Street Station made me pause. With my love of Liverpool, of all things The Beatles, and fascination with how lost people can be found, there was a wealth of detail and inspiration to pull on in the railway station.

Lime Street Station once functioned at the heart of the city and that was key to my narrative. I remember arriving there back in 1993. So, when creating Martha’s world and needing a place where she could be both lost and found, she arrived by train into Lime Street Station and danced into being. Perhaps there’s some of myself in the character Martha Lost, but she exists as a blending of all the strong scouse women I’ve met over the years.

If you were pitching the North West as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it and what makes it so special?

City, countryside, coastline, I could work and write with a different view each day. It is somehow determined, resilient and always vibrant; the buildings, the views, the food, the drink, the culture, the music, but mainly, for me, it’s all about people. The people make this area special.

As a writer based in the North West, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting your books and if so, how do you overcome them?

Marketing and promoting books is something I struggle with. I think this could be more to do with my commitments, daily juggle and the sheer quantity of books seeking attention, rather than where I live. However, there are many supportive and wonderful bookshops, newspapers and publications in the area who are keen to embrace and support local writers. I’ve been lucky to have their encouragement and backing. There will always be problems in terms of not being able to network and make connections with others in the industry because of where I live and I don’t know if I have overcome those problems, but thankfully social media allows for online connections to be established and for conversation with a wider audience.

Writing is a solitary business - how do you interact with other authors?

There are a group of amazing (and super talented) local writers who I connect with and admire. They make me laugh, they’re honest about the flaws and pressures of the industry, and we support each other. This happens in real life and online too. I’m also truly fortunate that my career has grown with the online world and I’m able to fangirl over books and authors I love on Twitter and Instagram.

How supportive are local communities to your writing, and are there ever any opportunities for book shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting your work?

Over the last ten years I’ve had such support from local bookshops and libraries. Other support seems to alter with the subject matter of the book, and I’d love to engage with more reading groups. Engaging with readers, booksellers and libraries is the best part of the job. Talking books makes me happy. Bookshops have been my constant in my writing journey – particularly Waterstones in Liverpool One and Linghams Bookshop in Heswall.

And finally, if readers are new to your work, which book, do you think, is a good place to start?

I’d say The Finding of Martha Lost is my love letter to Liverpool, so that would be an ideal starting point. For a grittier northern read, with a sprinkle of a modern retelling of Greek myths and before the film release this year, I’d also suggest The Drowning of Arthur Braxton (published as Caroline Smailes).

Fourth Estate
2016

You can discover more about Caroline and her writing  on her website 

Follow on Twitter @Caroline_S

Warmest thanks to Caroline for spending time with us today and for sharing her love of the North West with us.




I hope that you have enjoyed this week's Close to Home feature.





Coming next week : Beth Underdown

~***~

Close to Home... Amanda Brooke

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.   

Please welcome North West Writer

Amanda Brooke

Hi Amanda, welcome to Jaffareadstoo and thank you for spending time with us today and for sharing your love of the North West with us..

Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

I’ve lived in Liverpool all my life, and although I was an avid reader growing up, I was more inclined to write computer programs on my Sinclair Spectrum than I was stories. It wasn’t until I was in my late thirties that I took an interest in writing, and it was at a time when I desperately needed some way to channel my emotions. My son Nathan was twenty one months old when he was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2004, and I found writing poetry and keeping a journal helped me remain strong for both my son and his older sister Jessica. When he died in 2006, writing was a way for me to process my grief and at first I wrote about my son, but once all of those precious memories were committed to paper, I found I wanted to carry on writing. Yesterday’s Sun was my first attempt at women’s fiction and was inspired by my experiences of motherhood. The manuscript not only secured my first book deal, but it was also selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in 2012. I’m slightly stunned to have seven novels published so far with more to come, all because of one little boy who has left such an amazing legacy.

Your books are written in the North West – how have the people and its landscape shaped your stories?

It’s hard not to be influenced by the region I know so well, and four of my books have been based in and around Liverpool. I like sharing some of the city’s highlights that might not be so well known to my readers, and it’s an added bonus that I don’t have to travel too far if I need to research a particular location. In the Child’s Secret, I based much of the story in and around Calderstones Park in Liverpool, and the focal point was the thousand year old tree known as The Allerton Oak.

There are times, however, when I prefer to use a completely fictional setting and two of my books are set in a town called Sedgefield nestled ‘somewhere,’ in the Cheshire countryside. I first created the town when I was writing Where I Found You because central to the story was a public park that had become so fixed in my imagination that I couldn’t find a real park that quite matched the scenes I’d been developing in my mind. More recently in The Affair, I chose to use Sedgefield because it involves a scandal and a schoolgirl, I didn’t want to implicate a real school.

   

As for the people, I tend to develop my characters based on their circumstances rather than the setting, although I suppose I must give my characters certain traits that root them in the North West even if it’s not deliberate. One scene that comes to mind is in The Goodbye Gift where one of my characters is on the bus going home and starts chatting to an older lady who attempts to set her up with her newly divorced son. I can easily imagine that happening in my home town, but wonder if it could happen so easily in other parts of the country.

In your research for your books, do you visit any of the places you write about and which have made a lasting impression?

In Another Way to Fall, I feature St Luke’s Church in Liverpool, which is more commonly known as the Bombed Out Church. I had driven past it countless times on my way to and from work, but never thought to go inside until I started writing the book.

The church is at the top of Bold Street in the city centre and was a parish church up until it was bombed during the blitz. An incendiary device landed at one end of the church and the fire swept through the entire building, completely destroying the roof and interior as well as bringing some of St Luke’s famous bells crashing to the ground. Amazingly, the stone façade survived unscathed and that’s what makes it such an iconic building. The sandstone tower and ornate pinnacles still look perfect today, and at first glance you may not even notice that the roof and the windows are missing. 

In Another Way to Fall, my main character Emma is dying from a brain tumour and decides to write another version of her life in her last months. She wants to get married in St Luke’s, and although the ruined church isn’t licensed for wedding ceremonies, this is her dream wedding and anything is possible. The church is a desolate ruin with charred timbers and fragments of stained glass windows, and yet you can’t help but look at the building and see its strength and magnificence, and I couldn’t think of a more poignant setting for my heroine.

 If you were pitching the North West as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it and what makes it so special?

It’s only when asked a question like this that I realise how fortunate I am to be in the North West. The region stretches from the Cheshire plains up to the Lakes, with the Irish Sea on one side and the Pennines on the other. The landscape has a rich tapestry that should appeal to every taste, from metropolitan cities and historic towns to dramatic countryside and coastlines. It’s a place that has nurtured home-grown talent right across the creative arts and has the potential to inspire so much more.

As a writer based in the North West, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting your books and if so, how do you overcome them?

My publisher and agent are both based in London, but it helps having a good train network that allows me to get there in two hours. Technology helps too although it’s much harder to develop personal relationships by email and telephone, but the advent of social media has meant I can still network to some degree.

Personal appearances at festivals and libraries are a little more difficult and I’ve tended to focus my tours around the North West. You would think that would make life easier, but not always. I’ve had some brilliant receptions at libraries around Greater Manchester but there are times when the M60 seems more like a moat than a motorway. My worst experience was travelling to Alkrington library in Rochdale in 30 degree heat. The one hour journey took three hours and I was mortified to be 20 minutes late – and I hate being late or letting people down. The upside was that the audience were so warm and forgiving, and I had the best time once I was there!

Writing is a solitary business - how do you interact with other authors?

Yes, it is a solitary business, and as someone who has only recently given up the day job to write full time, I’m keen to nurture the friendships I’ve developed with other writers. The easiest and most accessible route is through social media, and I can always turn to Twitter for support when I’m having one of those moments of self-doubt, and more often than not, I’ll find someone else there who’s feeling exactly the same. 

I’m fortunate in that I write for a large publisher and HarperCollins hold annual events for their authors where I get to meet some of the people I’ve been connecting with on social media. More locally, I try to go to book events where I can to give support to other local authors and to make new friends.

How supportive are local communities to your writing, and are there ever any opportunities for book shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting/ your work?

I did a rather intensive stint of library talks a couple of years ago based around the North West. It was hard going because I was working full time as well, but I loved doing it. It’s quite humbling to have readers take time out to meet me, and I always try to keep my talks relaxed and informal. I probably reveal far too much about myself than I should, but people in the North West have a reputation for being warm and welcoming and the audiences have always put me at my ease. I don’t think people realise how much it means to an author to have local support. Publishing is a tough business and while I can put all my efforts into marketing, what really counts is the readers who pass on recommendations or leave reviews.

Of all your books to date, have you a favourite, and why?

My first book, Yesterday’s Sun will always have a special place in my heart. Not only was it the book that secured my first book deal, but of all my books, it was the one I felt compelled to write. I constructed a story where my main character Holly is able to sacrifice her own life for that of her child. 

Writing those crucial scenes was intensely emotional and in some ways cathartic. Through my character, I was able to do what I couldn’t in real life, but I suppose that sums up what writing and reading books is all about.

To discover more about Amanda and her writing, please visit her website  

Visit her on Facebook

Follow on Twitter @AmandaBrooke AB

Amazon

Huge thanks to Amanda for being such a lovely guest today and for sharing her love of  Liverpool and the North West with us 

I hope that you have enjoyed this Close to Home Feature

Coming next week : Caroline Wallace




~***~

Close to Home ....Clare Coombes

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.

Today I welcome North West Writer

Clare Coombes

Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

As well as being a fiction writer, I’ve covered areas from art and culture to sport science and astrophysics used by media like The Guardian and the BBC as sources for stories. Working with NASA discovering new planets ,and conservation scientists for the evolution of language and orang-utan ‘kiss squeaks’ have been two particular highlights this year.

Nasa Story - Seven New Planets

Photo Credit : Tim Laman

My first novel Definitions was published in 2015, and I have been commended for short stories and novel extracts in a number of publications, competitions and academic journals. My postgraduate teaching has included how to ‘pitch’ to agents and publishers and social media for writers. I have judged fiction competitions and spoken in schools and high profile events on writing as a career. I have also worked as an advisor and editor for aspiring writers and authors, many who have gone on to become published and win awards. 

But how did I get into writing at all? Most authors would probably say they’ve been writing for as long as they can remember, I’ve said the same in interviews in the past, but it was really after my mum died that I started to take it seriously. That doesn’t mean anything I wrote at the time was good, in fact most of it, particularly the fiction, was bad, but it was a way of me starting to work through my grief. 

My first published articles were non-fiction. The one I’m most proud of is still ‘Beyond Hollywood Grief’ in Openmind Mental Health Magazine where I talked about the effects of bereavement on those who are at that in-between stage in life – not feeling like a child or an adult, while being treated as both simultaneously. I wrote it so that other people who had been through the same thing as me could read it, which leads onto another reason I became an author, reading.

Books have always there for me through everything. That doesn’t mean I was lonely or anything, although I was a bit of a weird child. I had a form of crippling shyness up to around senior school that I think reading helped me get out of, because it gave me the confidence to be me. It let me know that there were other weird people with weird thoughts out there. I’m still an introvert, as I think most writers are, but reading helped me manage that. These days I’m even proud of being one. 

I got better at fiction because I worked at it. Some people say that writing should be a natural talent and you can’t teach it but that is wrong. All talent needs teaching, in any subject. You wouldn’t tell someone who was good at football or tennis that they didn’t need to train. And I did lots of training. I did a Masters in Writing at Liverpool John Moores University, joined writing groups, read and wrote a great deal and researched. 

My style is to take a life experience and use the emotions to produce a piece of fiction that I think will help people. That’s why, after a recent maternity leave break I’m working on - The Mum without a Mum Diaries. It’s a bit of Adrian Mole meets Bridget Jones and I’m including the first preview of the book blurb and chapter in this interview. 

Most books about the experiences of being a mum are non-fiction. There are also a limited number that look at how you cope with being a mum when you have lost your own. This is my own life experience as my mum died when I was 18 and I've just had a baby but I didn't want to do this as an autobiography. Instead I thought I could put the emotions in but create a fictional piece with additional plot threads (not based on my life) so this would appeal to a range of readers. 

Clare with husband Joe and baby Esmé

The Mum without a Mum Diaries

How do you become a ‘proper’ mum when you don’t have one? Who do you ask for advice on how to look after a baby while dealing with a boyfriend who is a brilliant father but thinks marriage is a bigger commitment than having a child? And don't even mention all the baby bystanders – his parents, well-meaning-but-occasionally-mean-friends, the Daily Mail, hitting the bottle over breastfeeding and groups like bingo-bongo-baby-massage-while playing-the-drums-upside-down-and-reading-your -baby-war-and peace. Alicia Matthews is experiencing so many trials of being a mum without a mum, and she needs someone to listen. 

Read a preview of the first chapter by clicking here 

Your first book, Definitions, is set in Liverpool– how the people did and its landscape shape your writing experience?

Liverpool has so much to offer architecturally, culturally, intellectually and historically. Growing up here, I’ve watched it develop, even go through some very dark times, and it’s an extraordinary place. It’s a city that’s built on the experiences of refugees and an example of hope in the current refugee crisis. I loved using this strength and resilience for my characters in Definitions, along with the humour and language of Liverpool. 

I wanted to share the city with people. My upcoming novel is set in Liverpool too. 

As a writer based in the North West, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting your book and if so, how do you overcome them? 

There’s so much support for writers in Liverpool, particularly through organisations like Writing on the Wall. They link literary agents in London to writers in the North West through events like Pulp Idol. This is a sort of X-Factor for writers, complete with live studio readings and judges asking ‘why do you think you can write. But it’s brilliant and it got me published. Through this and writing groups, like the one I started in set up by Jimmy McGovern and his wife, there’s a lovely little writing network where everyone knows someone who knows someone. We all help each other. 

If you were pitching the North West as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it and what makes it so special? 

For me, based in Liverpool, there’s something magical about living by the river. And there are so many places to get creative inspiration, parks, the bustle of Bold Street, the cathedrals. Liverpool has the most museums outside of London and so many films and TV programmes have been filmed here using the stunning city backdrops. Recent examples include Peaky Blinders, Sherlock Holmes, Chariots of Fire, Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Liverpool is also the most popular UK city used by Charles Dickens in his novels. Something is always happening and the theatres, like the Everyman always have amazing productions on, like the recent fantastic Fiddler on the Roof. It’s a great place for writers.

Writing is a solitary business - how do you interact with other authors? 

As mentioned earlier, organisations like Writing on the Wall bring writers together. I also think social media is a great place to connect. Local bookshops, writing courses and groups keep us all going, far from being in an empty room, typing away without interaction. I also have the most inspiring writing circle of published female writers. We all meet once a month for food, chats and critique. 

How supportive are local communities to your writing, and are there ever any opportunities for book shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting your work? 

Bookshops and libraries have been a great support. I’ve taken part in events at Write Blend bookshop in Waterloo, Liverpool Central Library, Writing on the Wall, LJMU, Waterstones and local schools.

If someone is new to your work, how would you describe Definitions in five words?? 

Gone Girl meets Mean Girls and the new one is Adrian Mole meets Bridget Jones. I like describing things in terms of how they ‘meet’. 

You can find out more about Clare and her writing on her website by clicking here

Follow on Twitter @clare_coombes

You can read a preview of Clare's latest novel, by clicking here

My thanks to Clare for spending time with us today and for telling us about her love for Liverpool and for sharing her writing with us.

I hope that you have enjoyed this Close to Home Feature

Coming next week : Carys Bray



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Close to Home...Debbie Johnson

As a book reviewer I have made contact with authors from all across the globe and feel immensely privileged to be able to share some amazing work. However, there is always something rather special when a book comes to my attention which has been written by an author in my part of the North of England. So with this in mind I have great pleasure in featuring some of those authors who are literally close to my home. Over the next few Saturdays, and hopefully beyond, I will be sharing the work of a very talented bunch of Northern authors and discovering just what being a Northerner means to them both in terms of inspiration and also in their writing.

Today I welcome North West Writer


Debbie Johnson

Hi Debbie, welcome back to Jaffareadstoo - Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

I’m 47 and a half, married with three kids aged between 9 and 19, and the proud dog mum to a pair of elderly and flatulent pooches – one black lab and one Golden Retriever. I’m originally from the Midlands (Stoke on Trent to be precise) but have lived in Liverpool for the last 25 years, which is terrifying now I put it into words! I moved here after university with my then-boyfriend, and ended up getting a job at the local newspaper, the Liverpool Echo. In what feels like about five minutes, I’d laid down roots – kids, work, schools, friends, extended family.

I took redundancy from my job in 2005 after the birth of my second child, and went freelance, doing journalism, PR and copywriting. Like most journalists, I’d always wanted to write a book – and the year I was 40 I finally got around to it! I entered a contest called the Harry Bowling Prize for New Writing, and amazingly won it. I’d like to say the rest is history, but it’s taken years to get where I am now – which isn’t even that far! There were a lot of rejections, a lot of failures, and a lot of frustrations. It’s not a career for the faint-hearted. Obviously, it’s not like working down a pit or anything – but you have to be resilient, I’d say.

I’m now published with HarperCollins, and write what I suppose I’d describe as warm-hearted fiction – there might not always be romance, but there will always be humour, and soul, and sometimes tears. Usually a dog as well!

Your books are written in North West England, but not always set in the North West – how have the people and its landscape shaped your stories?

My earliest books were set in Liverpool. There was a supernatural crime thriller called Fear No Evil which was published digitally by an imprint of Avon – it’s still out there! It’s not set the world alight sales-wise but has great reviews, and I have to say it’s still one of my all-time favourite pieces of work. The central character is a Liverpool-based private detective, and she’s awesome – smart, funny, kind, tough. A lot of the charm of the book, for me, is the way it reflects Liverpool in all its glory – the good, the bad and the ugly.

I also wrote two urban fantasy books set here – Dark Vision and Dark Touch – which were published by Ebury. That was a gift: which better modern UK city to use as a setting for vampires, magicians, and ancient Celtic Gods? I really enjoyed playing with the location, tapping into the Irish heritage here, and also making the Liver Birds come to life and fly away!

 

Liverpool is a fascinating place – an endless source of amusement, inspiration and yes, sometimes despair. I would love to write more books set here – though I often sneak it in. For example, in The Birthday That Changed Everything, the lead character is originally from Liverpool, and in my upcoming book The A-Z of Everything (there’s clearly an Everything link – I’ll call the next one Everything you Ever Wanted to Know About Everything!), one of the leads went to university here and ended up staying, so quite a few of the scenes are Liverpool-based.

As a writer based in the North West, does this present any problems in terms of marketing and promoting your books and if so, how do you overcome them?

I don’t think it does, apart from a social and networking perspective – the parties and events are, inevitably, in London, as are most of the publishers and agents. But more and more we market ourselves online, which is geographically blind.

If you were pitching the North West as an ideal place to live, work and write – how would you sell it and what makes it so special?

I think for me it’s the diversity. You have these magnificent cities – Liverpool and Manchester – that are teeming with life and energy; so historic and architecturally quite beautiful. There is always a buzz, always something going on, wonderful museums and galleries and music. Plus, you know, great places for a night out! But not very far away you have access to some of the most stunning landscapes in the world – the Lake District, the coastline, places like the Trough of Bowland and the Yorkshire Dales (though technically I am aware that’s not the NW!). You can experience so many different versions of life in the North West – the solitary and the natural; the coastal and the mountainous, the thrillingly urban.

Plus, here in Liverpool,we’re basically only a two hour train journey away from London – so you get the best of both worlds!

Writing is a solitary business - how do you interact with other authors?

I am lucky enough to have some close ‘virtual’ friends – other authors I email or chat to on the phone, who understand the experience. But as well as that, we’re actually blessed with being the home territory for a lot of people I can meet up with in real life – at book launches, nights out, etc, there are writers I see a lot of. Jane Costello is one of my best friends (we worked together at the Liverpool Echo for many years), and there are also some other lovely people here. We didn’t actually realise how many of us there were until we all met at a mutual friend’s launch, and since then have stayed in touch and organised dinners etc.

How supportive are local communities to your writing, and are there ever any opportunities for book shops, local reading groups, or libraries to be involved in promoting your work?

I have had some signings at one of my local bookshops, and also taken part in a few events at the Waterstones in Liverpool. In all honesty I am a bit of a recluse, and tend to live like a hermit crab between school runs – I am sure there is a lot more I could do in terms of local outreach!

And finally, if someone is new to your work, which book do you think they should start with?

That’s a tough one as I have written so many different styles! If you like crime and Liverpool, go for Fear No Evil. If you like fantasy and Liverpool, go for Dark Vision. If you like women’s fiction with a lot of heart, go for the Comfort Food Cafe series. If you like very rude comedies with a hefty dose of sex and swearing, try the Birthday That Changed Everything! My next one – the A-Z – is slightly different again, and is really a story about love, grief and redemption within a family that has fallen apart.

  

Huge thanks to Debbie for spending time as my guest today.

I hope that you've enjoyed reading more about Debbie's writing life in this

 Close to Home Feature

Comin next week : June Taylor

The author in my spotlight is...Clare Coombes

I'm delighted to welcome author

Clare Coombes

Clare is chatting to us today about her debut novel, Definitions

Bennion Kearny Limited
2015

Hi Clare, it's lovely to have you as our guest today..

Tell us a little about Clare Coombes, author. 

Clare Coombes has been published and commended for her short stories and novel extracts in a number of publications, including the Writers’ Forum, the Fish Short Memoir Prize, Subtext Magazine, The Lancashire Evening Post, Know Magazine and various academic journals. She was also a finalist in the Writing on the Wall Pulp Idol contest, leading to publication in the anthology 'Pulp Idol Firsts 2014 '. Clare has a Masters in Writing from Liverpool John Moores University.. Definitions is her debut novel. You can follow her on twitter @coombes_clare or via www.clare-coombes.com

How long have you been writing and what got you started?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My love of reading really got me started. Sorry to steal words from other writers but I think Alan Bennett’s quote from his play 'The History Boys', best sums up why I write. 

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you’d thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you’ve never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it’s as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.” 

I've always taken this to mean that books can be a form of support, that reading can be a chance to connect thoughts and feelings, helping people to feel less lonely and isolated in their own minds. It can make you feel more 'normal' to see someone you never met has written down things that you thought only existed in your own head. Through other worlds created by reading and writing, your own world can seem less threatening. 

I wanted to write so I could be a hand that helped others, and work through my own issues. My very first piece of published writing was a non-fiction piece exploring young adult grief for a mental health magazine produced by the national charity, Mind. I've continued exploring loss, in its many forms, through my fiction, considering what it does to us and even what we can gain through it. 

For me, reading and writing is part of a healing process and a way to survive. 

What inspired you to write Definitions, and without giving too much away, what can you tell us about the story?

Although my first novel isn’t based on my life, I did put some of my emotional experiences into it. Because I lost my mum at a young age, I wanted to be that hand that came out to help people dealing with the same thing, at any stage of their lives. That’s why the characters in my book are all struggling with loss in some form, and I explore their reactions to it. 

So I had my theme set from the start but not the genre in which to tell it. In fact this book never started out as a psychological thriller – it was actually an A-Z dictionary told completely in first person about a relationship that gradually became abusive. But it needed something more and felt a bit flat on its own so I decided to cross-genre it and bring the women’s fiction element within the thriller context. I started working on it in my Masters in Writing at Liverpool John Moores University in 2011 and it was just a few short stories then. But the workshops we did made it evolve. 

Set in Liverpool Definitions is about a young woman who is missing and only her sister believes she has been kidnapped. With no close family, and the police showing little interest, Charley must track down Gina herself, using her sister’s custom definitions – random words and sentences summarising life events. This leads Charley to realise how little she really knows about Gina’s relationship with her fiancé and his family. It’s a sinister world she enters into, but Charley also has her own demons. But I also wanted to ask certain questions - Can you escape your past and move on? How well do you really know your own family? How far will they go to protect you? 

I’ve used the architecture, language, humour and things particular to the city as I’ve always been inspired by writers who use their own ‘accents’ and places where they are from for inspiration, like Marian Keyes does with Dublin. I love so many types of books, from Science Fiction like ‘Brave New World’ , Kurt Vonnegut to family relationships wonderfully written by Kate Long and Sophie Kinsella’s style in addition to ‘Harry Potter’, ‘One Day’ and ‘The Book Thief’. My perfect genre to read would be historical women’s science fiction. 

Do you have a routine when you’re writing?

I put a timer on my phone for one hour and try to stick to this every day. Even when it is difficult and I feel like I’m getting nowhere, I always find something useful when I revisit what I’ve done. 

I also try to dedicate some time to social media and real-life writer networking too. I think it’s important not be isolated as a writer. Social media means I can connect to authors around the world but locally I link in with literary organisations like Writing on the Wall http://www.writingonthewall.org.uk/ and independent books shops that support local writers like Write Blend http://www.writeblend.co.uk/

What keeps you motivated as a writer?

Other writers. I have an amazing writing circle and we meet once a month to critique each other’s work in a very supportive environment. But even though we’re all friends, we still give honest feedback and constructive criticism which massively helps us to grow and improve as writers. I’m going to use another writer’s quote to sum up what it feels like to find a group like this: 

“You know, you spend your whole life feeling like you don’t quite fit in anywhere. And then you walk into a room one day, whether it’s at university or an office or some kind of club, and you just go, ‘Ah. There they are.’ And suddenly you feel at home.” 

― Jojo Moyes, One Plus One

In addition to this, of course reading keeps me motivated. Writers are also usually readers and absorb everything they’ve ever read and when a book is really good you feel that you’ve lived it, that time, place, those feelings. 

Family and friends are also so important as they can help spread the word about your book and keep you believing in yourself. 

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to be a writer?

Learn to take criticism and shape it into your work. Remember that rejection from publishers and editors is nothing personal. Take a writing course and make sure you do some networking. You never need to do anything completely on your own as there is a lot of support out there. 

Competitions are important for writers but they’re not everything. 

Like in any profession, writers need to practise, train and learn. Some people say that writing should be a natural talent and you can’t teach it but that is wrong. All talent needs teaching, in any subject. You wouldn’t tell someone who was good at football or tennis that they didn’t need to train. 

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.

– Jane Yolen 

Read a ridiculous amount, watch, listen and learn from everything, so in the end the inspirations come out of everywhere. And remember: 

Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve. J. K. Rowling



What’s next ?

The novel I’m currently working on is historical fiction but does have psychological thriller elements. 

Here’s a bit about it. 

The Fault in Our Stars meets The Book Thief. 

Kurt Sander and Ida Sommer are two teenagers on the run from pre-war Nazi Germany who meet on the doomed St Louis voyage. Hiding their true identities from each other, the two fall in love. But when the truth about who they are and the real nature of the voyage emerges, they must overcome deep-rooted prejudices in order to survive. 

When I heard the story about the St Louis, I was moved to tell it through the eyes of a young couple who fall in love. The voyage itself was a propaganda exercise by the Nazis to prove to the world that no one wanted the Jewish refugees. Unfortunately it was successful. They were rejected by Cuba, American and Canada and the only reason that the ship did not dock back in Germany was through the actions of the Captain, and a lot of money exchanging hands through refugee organisations. However, many of the refugees ended up in countries which were overrun by the Nazis the following year and therefore in concentration camps. 

I have always been fascinated by the psychological impact of periods in history on the young people who live through them and what this can teach us in modern times. My influences for this series include Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, which show the unbelievable bravery of young people taking an active part in World War Two and Jodi Picoult’s The Storyteller which looks at the effects of Nazi indoctrination on two brothers and the psychological effect of what people have done in their past. 

The reason I am comparing my work to John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars is that it very strongly use the idea of fate and how young people manage situations that are out of their control and the way that love can always be present. In terms of The Book Thief , my trilogy brings both sides of Nazi Germany together, from those who have turned away from it, to those who have been forced out of it and how small pockets of resistance existed within children and young people despite the world around them. I want the books to contain an important message about tolerance and lessons from history but without preaching. 

Additional author information:

Definitions, published by Bennion Kearny, is available on Amazon (ebook and print) in Waterstones Liverpool One , Pritchard’s Booksellers News from Nowhere and Write Blend . To hear more about this book and my upcoming historical fiction novel, you can listen to my interview on Fab Radio International.com’s Take a Breaky, with Liverpool ECHO’s Ben Turner (breakywakey_ben ) or watch me on BayTV Arts Alive . 

You can also view the Definitions Book Trailer produced by Alex Beards, Lizzy Hendy, Nathan Dawber, Chris Rose and Lorna Gibson, staring Paula Fletcher, Matt Cassidy and Siobhan Coghlan. 

Huge thanks to Clare for sharing her novel with us and for giving such an insightful look into her love of writing. Jaffa and I wish you much success for the future..

You can read my review of Definitions

 here

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