Blog Tour ~ The Forbidden Promise by Lorna Cook

On Hist Fic Saturday I am delighted to host today's final stop on this Blog Tour

Avon Books
19 March 2020

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the tour

Scotland, 1940

War rages across Europe, but Invermoray House is at peace. Until the night of Constance’s twenty-first birthday, when she’s the only person to see a Spitfire crash into the loch. Constance has been longing for adventure – but when she promises to keep the pilot hidden, what will it cost her?

2020

Kate arrives in the Highlands to turn Invermoray into a luxury bed-and-breakfast, only to find that the estate is more troubled than she’d imagined. But when Kate discovers the house has a murky history, with Constance McLay’s name struck from its records, she knows she can’t leave until the mystery is solved…

How will one promise change the fate of two women, decades apart? 

What did I think about it..

In the summer of 1940, Constance McLay escapes the stifling boredom of her twenty-first birthday party only to witness a catastrophic event which will have repercussions, not just for her family at Invermoray House, but for the rest of her own life.

This dual time multi-generational story is quite special and I have found so much to enjoy in getting to know Constance, who, typical of her genteel upbringing, wanted so much more than her life offered, and when excitement beckoned, it seemed that it could only lead to tragedy and heartbreak.

In the here and now, PR and communications expert, Kate arrives in the Scottish highlands all set to put the beautiful Invermoray House on the tourist map, however, once there she discovers rather more than she bargained for, and when she also learns that the owners son, James, doesn't really want her help, all sorts of complications arise.

Beautifully written with such an authentic feel for the history of the time that I was quite engulfed in Constance's story and felt quite bereft when we flipped forwards in time to the Summer of 2020. That's not to say that the present day element of this time slip story is lacking in interest, far from it, in fact I could quite easily have read so much more about the present day inhabitants of Invermoray House and wanted their story to carry on for much longer !

I remember reading this author's debut novel last year and being completely blown away by her skill at snuggling the reader right into the very heart of the story, and this theme certainly continues in The Forbidden Promise. I devoured the book in one sitting, absolutely consumed by the romance of the story and the beauty of its setting against the backdrop of the Scottish highlands.

Combining history, mystery and romance, The Forbidden Promise is the perfect escapism read for this difficult time of self isolation.

About the Author

LORNA COOK lives in coastal South East England with her husband, daughters and a Staffy named Socks. A former journalist and publicist, she owns more cookery books than one woman should, but barely get time to cook.

Website

Twitter @LornaCookAuthor

@AvonBooks

His Fic Saturday ~ Pam Weaver

 On Hist Fic Saturday I am delighted to welcome to the blog, best selling author

Pam Weaver

It's a real thrill to have Pam as my guest on the blog today sharing her thoughts about why she writes historical fiction..

My mother was a great story teller. I grew up listening to her tales from the past. Neither of us realised but she was doing the foundation work upon which I would start to build my reputation. I would listen to the same story over and over again and never get tired or bored. She’d create the scene, explain the dilemma, build the story to a crescendo but always leave me with a satisfying conclusion. 

Was story telling in my genes? The truth is, I have no idea. My mother adopted me. 

My mother was born in 1912 and life was very different back then. However her story telling was so vivid I felt like I could have been there. I quickly learned that no matter when we are born, we all have the same dreams, the same aspirations and the same longing to be loved and accepted. Because I loved her, I was always rooting for her in the stories she told. I felt the same indignation, the same pain of insult, the same frustration or the same glow of romance as she spoke. It was only as I grew older, I realised that as a child of the 1950’s and 60’s my attitudes and opinions were shaped in a different forge. It wasn’t long before I would cry, ‘You never should have put up with that, Mum,’ or ‘I would have told her to sling her hook.’ And she would just smile and say, ‘That’s the way things were back then.’

I never did have any great love for the dry facts of history but I am fascinated by the people. What made them tick? Why did they accept patterns of behaviour that we would never condone nowadays? When I write, it’s great fun to imagine myself in the same room as my character, but thanks to the years of listening to those often repeated stories, I know I have to be very careful to leave my 21st century mind, attitude and conditioning away from the page. 

In my first book, my character stayed with her pig of a husband and tried to make the best of it. A reader told me that she’d lost patience with her. ‘What an absolute wimp!’ she complained angrily. ‘Why on earth didn’t she just walk out on him?’ I would say, the answer to that question is simple. 

In this day and age, any wife leaving her husband can find support outside the marital home. The women of my mother’s generation had no such luxuries. A woman couldn’t even rent a flat without the signature of a male guarantor on the agreement. The man might be her local doctor or bank manager but I would hazard a guess that those men would be far more likely to tell her to go back home and be a dutiful wife, than they would be willing to stand surety for her. And if she had children - Oh, don’t get me started on that one!

There’s been plenty written about kings and queens or notables in high places but I’m more interested in the unrecorded people of history and the ordinary women who in turn became extraordinary – like my mother. I my humble opinion, they were the ones who really won the war. The men may have been fighting, but the women kept the country going, brought up the next generation and found a strength of character which is still much admired. To fully comprehend what that meant, as I write, I try to immerse myself in their times. And what fun that can be.

We are lucky enough to have a wealth of research material at our fingertips. The Internet, the local library, and old newspapers have given me a real insight into the ordinary life of the time. Added to that, the rest of the world and his wife have written their memoirs. Best of all, I love talking to the people from that generation. It’s wonderful when they’re in full flow and then they say something in all innocence which gives me a real insight into their lives. I remember a 90 year old telling me that during the war, all the petrol they used on the farm was tainted pink. ‘If you were caught using pink petrol in your car,’ she went on, ‘you’d be in big trouble.’ 

‘Oh that didn’t bother us,’ scoffed her 93 year old friend sitting next to her. ‘We used to filter our petrol through the gas mask. When it came out the other end, it was normal colour.’

What a gem! And yes, I did use it in a book. 

So why do I write historical fiction? First and foremost because I love it and then because you learn something new all the time. 

About the Author

Pam Weaver is a bestselling author of saga novels set in Worthing, including There’s Always Tomorrow, Better Days Will Come, Pack Up Your Troubles, For Better For Worse, Blue Moon and Love Walked Right In. Pam’s inspiration comes from her love of people and their stories and her passion for the town where her novels are set. She is married with two grown-up daughters and lives in Worthing.

Here's more about Pam's latest novel

Sing Them Home

Pan Macmillan
June 2018

A German aircraft crashes into a house in Worthing, and causes complete devastation to the local community. Three strangers meet for the first time that day – Pip, Stella and Lillian. Lillian’s little girl Flora has been hurt in the crash and is rushed to hospital. As she comes through her ordeal, she finds her mother and her two new ‘aunties’ by her bedside.

The three new friends quickly bond over shared experiences; all their husbands are overseas in the fighting forces. They also have the same love of singing and soon form The Sussex Sisters, Worthing’s answer to the Andrews Sisters, to boost morale in in dance halls and canteens all over the south coast.

When D-Day finally arrives, it’s the promise of a brighter future they have all been longing for. But the men that return home are altogether different from the husbands they waved off. How will they respond to their wives’ new-found fame? How will the women live alongside these distant, damaged men? With secrets, revelations and surprises on the horizon, the friends will need each other more than ever.

Huge thanks to Pam for being such  a lovely guest on my blog today and for sharing her love of writing historical fiction with us.

You can discover more about Pam's bestselling sagas by clicking here

Blog Tour ~ The Black Earth by Philip Kazan

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to host today's stop of The Black Earth Blog Tour

Allison & Busby
19th April 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and to Random Things Tours for the invitation
 to be part of this Blog Tour

Whats it all about...

1922. When the Turkish Army occupies Smyrna, Zoë Haggitiris escapes with her family, only to lose everything. Alone in a sea of desperate strangers, her life is touched, for a moment, by a young English boy, Tom Collyer, also lost, before the compassion of a stranger leads her into a new life. Years later when war breaks out, Tom finds himself in Greece and in the chaos of the British retreat, fate will lead him back to Zoë. But he will discover that the war will not end so easily for either of them.

My thoughts about it...

This atmospheric and evocative novel takes us back to the dark days of the Greek occupation during WW2. We follow the fortunes of Greek singer, Zoe Valavani and British Officer, Lieutenant Tom Collyer, two very different characters, whose shared wartime experiences become an absolutely integral part of the story. 

That Zoe has had a difficult start to life is beautifully observed, but it is her absolute tenacity to survive which will see her through the worst of what life has to offer. Tom is on active duty in Greece when he rescues Zoe from a road side tragedy, and even though their lives are so very different, fate links them in ways that they could never have imagined. 

The Black Earth is on all levels an emotional story. Beautifully written by an a writer who really knows how to get right into the heart and soul of a story, the narrative is really well controlled, so that it never becomes overly graphic or overly sentimental, but with eloquent precision it certainly gets its message across. 

From the very start of the novel, Zoe is a worthy protagonist, feisty, determined and so beautifully depicted that her character literary leaps off the page, and even as a child facing the most devastating loss imaginable, her strength of character and formidable spirit will see her fight to survive in a world that seems to have gone mad. Tom is very much a product of his British upbringing, his loyalty and bravery knows no bounds and throughout the story, he will need every ounce of his  British stoicism and military training to survive. 

Zoe’s eventful life in Greece, her relationship with her brother, Pavlo and her connection to Tom, form an emotional backdrop to a story which is both heart breaking and dramatic in equal measure. There is an absorbing intensity to the novel which I found compelling and the detailed and emotional description of living life in a war zone comes across so vividly that I could picture everything so very clearly; it was as if the place and the characters came alive in my imagination. 

Caught within the boundaries of an occupied war zone, there is much to consider in The Black Earth, not just about the effects of war on a country and its people, but also about the loss of connection and identity and of the constant struggle for survival.

About the Author

Facebook

Twitter @pipkazan #TheBlackEarth

@AllisonandBusby

Website

Amazon UK

Hist Fic Saturday ~ Christmas at Woolworths by Elaine Everest

On His Fic Saturday 

Let's go back to ...1942

Pan Macmillan
2 November 2017

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

"Even though there was a war on, the Woolworths girls brought Christmas cheer to their customers"

Sarah, Maisie and Freda work together at the Erith branch of Woolworths and have formed a strong bond of friendship which has seen them through difficult times, however, their loyalty and camaraderie is about to be tested again in this difficult year of World War Two. With their loved ones caught up on the war, the girls must keep their morale high, even though, at times, they are caught up in the worry and uncertainty of not knowing what's going on with those they love.

The story very quickly involves the reader in the lives of this feisty group of women, and even though I haven't read the previous book, The Woolworth Girls, I very quickly picked up the nature of the story and enjoyed getting to know the different personalities. I think that the wartime feel of the novel sits nicely against the festive element and shows just how good people were at making the best of what was available.

The author writes with warmth and wit and creates an authentic war-time atmosphere, giving life to believable characters who linger long in the imagination. Becoming involved in their dramas and heartbreaks make this lovely novel an absolute joy to read.

I enjoyed spending Christmas at Woolworths with this group of women and hope to be able to catch up again with them in future sagas.

About the Author

Elaine has written widely for women's magazines, with both short stories and features. When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school in Dartford, Kent, and the blog for the Romantic Novelists' Association. Christmas at Woolworths is her third novel.

Elaine lives with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry, in Swanley, Kent.

Twitter @ElaineEverest  #ChristmasatWoolworths @panmacmillan

Facebook 

Blog Tour ~ Secrets of the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on the 

Secrets of the Shipyard Girls Blog Tour

Arrow Books
21 September 2017

The third book in the compelling saga series The Shipyard Girls 

Perfect for fans of Donna Douglas and Ellie Dean

Sunderland, 1941

As the world war continues the shipyard girls face hardships at home, but work and friendship give them strength to carry on.

Gloria is smitten with her newly arrived bundle of joy, but baby Hope’s first weeks are bittersweet. Hope's father is missing at sea, and with their future as a family so uncertain, Gloria must lean on her girls for support.

Meanwhile, head welder Rosie has turned her back on love to keep her double life secret. But her persistent beau is determined to find out the truth and if he does, it could ruin her.

And there is finally a glimmer of hope for Polly and her family when Bel and Joe fall in love. But it isn’t long before a scandalous revelation threatens to pull them all apart.

My thoughts:

Even if you haven't read the previous books in this wartime saga series it is very easy to pick up the gist of the back story as the author is very good at explaining what has happened before and I quickly became accustomed to the central characters and enjoyed reading of their lives and loves in war time Sunderland. That these women were able to keep such a vital industry, as the shipyards functioning, and doing so with great success, is testament to their strength of spirit.

In this third volume of stories about The Shipyard Girls we focus on lives of Gloria, Rosie and Bel. All are strong and feisty women, but they each have something hidden in their backgrounds which threaten their future happiness. They are all employed at the shipyard of J. L. Thompson in Sunderland and even though their work is tough and often fraught with danger, the camaraderie between the women is palpable and heart-warming and, as they all look out for each other, so their lives become intertwined.

The author writes with a real sense of history and using her local knowledge of the area is able to bring both the place and its people to life. The characters are entertaining and appealing with some perhaps more likeable than others. But always, there is a real sense of purpose and an authenticity, bringing everything to life in such a vibrant way, that you can’t help but become emotionally involved in each of their stories. The plot weaves together well, and there are more than enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages until all the hidden secrets are revealed.

The fourth book in the series, Shipyard Girls in Love publishes 22nd March 2018 and is available to pre order now.

About the author:

Nancy Revell is a writer and journalist under another name, and has worked for many national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She has also worked for just about every woman’s magazine, writing amazing and inspirational true life stories.

Nancy has recently relocated back to her home town of Sunderland,Tyne & Wear, with her husband Paul and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie.

They live a short walk from the beautiful, award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where The Shipyard Girls series is set. The subject is close to Nancy’s heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well-known in the area.

Follow the rest of the Blog Tour on Twitter @arevellwalton

@arrowpublishing

Thanks to Clare at Penguin Random House for my review copy of Secrets of the Shipyard Girls and the kind invitation to be part of this blog tour.

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Blog Tour ~ The Waterway Girls by Milly Adams

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on The Waterway Girls Blog Tour

Arrow
7 September 2017

October 1943, West London

Nineteen-year-old Polly Holmes is leaving poor bombed London behind to join the war effort on Britain’s canals.

Stepping aboard the Marigold amid pouring rain, there’s lots for Polly to get to grips with. Not least her fellow crew: strong and impetuous Verity, whose bark is worse than her bite, and seasoned skipper Bet.

With her sweetheart away fighting in the RAF and her beloved brother killed in action, there’s plenty of heartache to be healed on the waterway. And as Polly rolls up her sleeves and gets stuck into life on board the narrow boat – making the gruelling journey London up to Birmingham – she will soon discover that a world of new beginnings awaits amid the anguish of the war.

My thoughts

When nineteen year old Polly Holmes leaves her home in bombed out London and joins a female crew of canal boat operatives in October 1943, she is little prepared for the changes that this decision will bring to her life. At first, due to an uncomfortable feud with Verity, a fellow crew member, Polly struggles to become accustomed to life on the canal. But gradually, under the watchful eye of skipper, Bet, the young crew members start to work together as a team and the arduous journey of taking the narrow boat from London to Birmingham is filled with excitement and adventure.

In The Waterway Girls the author brings together a group of feisty young women and describes vividly the hardships and trepidation that accompanied them on their canal journey. Life was tough, not just for the women who were recruited by the Ministry of Transport’s waterways training scheme, but also for the established canal folk who had, for so long, made the canal systems their home. Tensions run high and for Polly, Bet and Verity life on the canal is never without its complications.

Before reading this novel, I was unaware of the WW2 initiative of training women to crew canal boats in order to keep freight and other cargo on the move during the worst of the war years. Rather as the Land Girls kept the agricultural side of things going, so the Waterway Girls ensured that cargo and merchandise travelled safely from depot to destination, often in hazardous conditions.

I think that the author captures time and place really well and combines the descriptions of eventful life on the canals with the personal stories of the crew members. There is heartache a plenty ahead of them, but there is also a sense of hopefulness, as they each become accustomed to a new way of life.

The Waterway Girls is the start of a new saga series by this author and I am sure it will appeal to her many fans.

More about the author can be found on her website by clicking here

Milly Adams lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, dog and cat. Her children live nearby. Her grandchildren are fun, and lead her astray. She insists that it is that way round.

Milly Adams is also the author of Above Us The Sky and Sisters At War.

Follow the tour on Twitter #TheWaterwayGirls 

@arrowpublishing

Do visit the other blog tour stops

My thanks to Becky at Penguin Random House for the invitation to be part of this blog tour and also for my review copy of The Waterway Girls.

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