Blog Tour ~ The Poppy Field by Deborah Carr

On  Hist Fic Saturday 

I am delighted to be hosting today's stop on The Poppy Field Blog Tour

October 12th 2018

My thanks to the author and to Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

What's it all about..

Young nurse, Gemma, is struggling with the traumas she has witnessed through her job in the NHS. Needing to escape from it all, Gemma agrees to help renovate a rundown farmhouse in Doullens, France, a town near the Somme. There, in a boarded-up cupboard, wrapped in old newspapers, is a tin that reveals the secret letters and heartache of Alice Le Breton, a young volunteer nurse who worked in a casualty clearing station near the front line.

Set in the present day and during the horrifying years of the war, both woman discover deep down the strength and courage to carry on in even the most difficult of times. Through Alice’s words and her unfailing love for her sweetheart at the front, Gemma learns to truly live again.

My thoughts about it...

The events of The Great War continue to both fascinate and beguile us and even now, a hundred years from the end of the war, memories linger and emotions run deep.

When young nurse, Gemma, escapes to France from the pressure of being a trauma nurse in the modern day NHS, her story intertwines with that of Alice, a young VAD working at a casualty clearing station in northern France during some of the most momentous years of WW1.  Alice's story comes to light when Gemma uncovers a stash of hidden letters during the renovation of a neglected farmhouse.

The parallels between the past and the present are nicely done and I enjoyed it when the alternate chapters gave us the story of both of these strong young women. That they have been touched by tragedy comes across and it was interesting to see how both of them coped with the difficulties life had placed before them.

The dual time element is strong, with some fascinating and quite poignant detail about what happened at the casualty clearing stations, when young men, so dreadfully damaged in both mind and body were patched up, to be either sent home if they were lucky, or hurried back to more fighting if they weren't so fortunate as to sustain a blighty, an injury which would, hopefully, see the end of their own personal war. However, in the midst of this horror, Alice discovers, that some relationships, despite the tensions and the danger and the petty bureaucracy which hindered personal contact, are worth fighting for. Gemma's story, in the here and now, with her struggle to discover what she truly wants from life, is equally fascinating, and the author does a great job at separating the two time frames so that both story lines feel fresh and relevant.

We are coming up to the hundred year anniversary of Armistice, a time, when the poppy fields of northern France will, once again, take on special meaning. The significance of the symbol of scarlet poppies blowing gently in the breeze is a constant reminder of those who died too young.... and far too soon.

About the Author

Deborah Carr lives on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands with her husband, two children and three rescue dogs. She became interested in books set in WW1 when researching her great-grandfather's time as a cavalryman in the 17th 21st Lancers. 

She is part of ‘The Blonde Plotters’ writing group and was Deputy Editor on the online review site, Novelicious.com for seven years. Her debut historical romance, Broken Faces, is set in WW1 and was runner-up in the 2012 Good Housekeeping Novel Writing Competition and given a 'special commendation' in the Harry Bowling Prize that year. The Poppy Field is her second historical novel.

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Twitter @DebsCarr

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Northern Writer ~ Amy Lord

I am delighted to bring this feature to Jaffareadstoo which showcases

the work of authors who live and write in the North

🌠 Here's Northern writer : Amy Lord 🌠

Hi Amy, a very warm welcome to Jaffareadstoo. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started as a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was 10 years old. I’ve always loved books, so there was never a conscious decision: writing is a part of who I am.

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

This is a difficult question. In a direct sense, the North East doesn’t play a role in my writing. The first book I wrote, which is languishing unpublished in a drawer somewhere, was a coming of age story set in my hometown of Middlesbrough. But my more recent work isn’t located in the North East. 

However, being from this part of the world has shaped my identity and my voice, which I bring to my writing. I write dark, speculative stories, set in crumbling or somehow oppressive cities. Living in a formerly industrial area surrounded by beautiful but often bleak countryside and coastlines helps create a sense of otherness and isolation that feeds my writing.

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

Publishing is very London-centric, so living this far from the city does leave you feeling out of the loop. I recently wrote a couple of pieces for a website aimed at debut authors and was invited to their regular events; but London is three hours and over £100 on the train, so it’s not easy to pop down for an event or meeting. Visiting can be a commitment. 

But as the search for diversity in fiction grows, I do think some parts of the publishing industry are becoming more open to writers who have a different voice or background. Being from the North East does make you different to writers from London. In this part of the world, there are some brilliant organisations such as New Writing North and plenty of small scale events for book lovers and writers. But the bigger events and opportunities are not as common, so you need to travel and that makes them much more expensive.

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

I don’t tend to write about real places; I prefer to let my imagination do the work. When I did write a book set in my hometown, I found myself trying to explain where everything was, adding street names and picturing every curve in the road. It became distracting. 

I would like to write something that captures the essence of the North East one day, but for now my stories are a little more fantastical.

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

The North East is a wild and beautiful place. You can live in the heart of a bustling city, with access to exciting cultural activities, but still be just 10 or 15 minutes away from some of the most stunning countryside in the UK. We have dramatic coastlines and wild moors, forests and dales where it’s easy to lose yourself in your surroundings. 

This isn’t an expensive part of the world to live in, but it’s full of interesting, engaging people who will tell you their stories. 

And who wants to be in the same place as everyone else?

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

This is something I’ve become better at over the years. I have a couple of writer friends who I’ve met at work and I recently took part in a year-long mentoring scheme, which led to the set-up of a monthly writers’ group which I share with half a dozen talented women. 

I’m also part of a few Facebook groups, but the most useful belongs to my publisher, Unbound. My debut novel should be out next year and I’ve just finished crowdfunding it. This is a challenging process, but it’s made easier by a secret Facebook group Unbound set up for the authors where we interact and share advice and tips. The conversation carries on each day and there’s a core group of writers there who really support each other. They have been invaluable and I’ll rely on them a lot as I get ready for the publication of my novel.

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?

Local communities are great, especially away from the big city where meeting a writer isn’t an everyday thing. As part of my crowdfunding campaign, I went along to a couple of book groups and chatted to them about my writing. The people there were so friendly and engaged and a few even supported the book.

Can you tell us anything about your current work?

My debut novel is called The Disappeared and it’s about obsession. Set in a dystopian version of the UK, run by a military dictatorship, it follows a young woman called Clara, whose father was arrested by the Authorisation Bureau when she was 11, for teaching banned books to his students. She never saw him again. 

Clara becomes a teacher and decides to do something to rebel against this regime, but the only weapons she has are the books her father left behind. 

The story is told from two perspectives: that of Clara, and her stepfather, the Major, the man who arrested her father. He becomes obsessed with Clara’s mother and wants to possess her utterly, even if that means destroying her husband completely. 

Huge thanks to Amy for being my guest on the blog today

You can discover more about Amy and her writing:

Book

Blog

Twitter and Instagram: @tenpennydreams

Coming next time: Alan Rogers

Review ~ The Road to Alexander by Jennifer Macaire

Accent Press
2017
My thanks to the author for my e-copy of this book

What's it all about..

After winning a prestigious award, Ashley is chosen to travel through time and interview a historical figure. Choosing her childhood hero Alexander the Great, she is sent back in time for less than a day. He mistakes her for Persephone, goddess of the dead, and kidnaps her, stranding her in his own time. What follows, after she awakes under the pomegranate tree, is a hilarious, mind-bending tale of a modern woman immersed in the ancient throes of sex, love, quite a bit of vino, war, death and ever so much more..

My thoughts about it..

Taking a character from the future back to an ancient time is always a bit of a gamble, sometimes it pays off and others not quite so much. In The Road to Alexander, the gamble pays off as  the author has taken, Ashley, a woman journalist from the future, and delivered her back in time to the age of Alexander the Great, who happens to be Ashley's absolute hero. What then follows is a lively romp through Alexander's world, filled with all the customs and traditions of this ancient time.

The author has given her characters, particularly Alexander himself, a great sense of style and a zest for life. That Ashley finds that she is trapped in this ancient world adds the necessary excitement and intrigue, and the eventual love interest between Ashley and Alexander fairly sizzles on the page.

It's obvious from reading The Road to Alexander that the author loves writing and has done her research for this particular historical period, which must be said, I know absolutely nothing and so I came to the book with no preconceptions of history and just enjoyed the story for what it was, a light and easy historical fiction read with a feisty heroine and a dashing hero.

That the story is a fun read and not a treatise on the ancient world comes across and the author has done a good job in recreating time and place whilst at the same time not taking it all too seriously, this is fiction, after all.

The Road to Alexander is a the first book in a series of historical novels which explores this theme.

About the Author

Jennifer Macaire lives in France with her husband, three children, & various dogs & horses. She loves cooking, eating French chocolate, growing herbs and flowering plants on her balcony, and playing golf. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Peter and Paul high school in St. Thomas and moved to NYC where she modeled for five years for Elite. She went to France and met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories.

Website

Twitter @jennifermacaire

Amazon UK

Guest Author ~ Anna Belfrage

 ✨ I am delighted to welcome back to the blog author ✨

Anna Belfrage

Welcome back to the blog, Anna

Your latest novel, A Torch in his Heart is a new direction for you.

What can you tell us about it?

...Like Bambi on ice...

They say it broadens your mind to venture into the unknown. I am sure it does—no, wait, I know it does—but it does come with a lot of side-effects. Stepping out of your comfort zone leads to sweaty hands and zillions of butterflies in your stomach. Not an entirely pleasant experience, no matter how much broader it leaves my mind…

All of us step out of our comfort zone. Some do it but rarely, others eagerly embrace every opportunity to try something different. And whenever we do take that step into the unknown, we change—a bit. 

“Hmm,” you may say, giving me a look over your reading glasses. “Really?”. 

Absolutely—if nothing else because we boost our self-confidence every time we try something new. Yes, sometimes things back-fire and we must retire for a while to lick our wounds. In those cases we also change. Hopefully, we learn a lesson rather than become bitter.

I have recently done a lot of venturing into unfamiliar areas. One of those excursions has resulted in a new book, A Torch in his Heart. Seeing as this is my fourteenth book, one would think this is no big deal. But it is. You see, in this book I have stepped out of the historic context I usually prefer and set the story in the present day. In itself a challenge as I enjoy using the historical events as a framework on which I build my story. I then upped the ante by adding a suspense element. Gulp, gulp.

I think the end result is a readable and somewhat heady cocktail of timeslip, passion, fast-paced action and epic love. As yet, I don’t know if my readers agree—always a nervous position to be in. Some have suggested I should use a different author name for this excursion into a new genre, but just the thought of maintaining two author profiles left me so exhausted I had to crawl into bed and binge on Jayne Ann Krentz books for a couple of days. (Not a good choice, as Ms Krentz actually does use different pen names depending on whether her books are set in the past or present *groans*…)

So how has this experience changed me? Well, for a start, it has led me to read much more contemporary romance than I usually do, and that has been a rather pleasant experience. I also find it interesting to note just how different the taste in romance is depending on which side of the pond you’re on. It seems to me British romances are more tongue-in-cheek and cozy, strong emotions understated rather than overblown. US writers have faster pace, are more into titillating sex scenes and don’t really do understated. I enjoy them both, but I do like some drama with my love 😊

Those that do not read romance may walk around under the misconception that romance features insipid ladies who depend on feminine wiles to hook the oh, so masculine hero. In fact, what all romance has in common is that the female leads are surprisingly strong. Not secret agent strong, more determined and stubborn and very courageous when it comes to the crunch. A bit like you have to be if you venture outside your comfort zone…

Very often, romance heroines do just that: they take a deep breath and plunge into the unknown, usually because their heart, rather than their head, is guiding them. Along the way, they are obliged to overcome all sorts of obstacles—as one must, if one aims to achieve one’s goal. Thankfully, our brave heroines (and heroes) usually make it across the finishing line and I, the very gripped reader, can relax.

Helle Madsen in A Torch in His Heart is one of those women forced to embrace change. One moment, she’s just your ordinary financial accountant, the next she’s the protagonist in an epic love story spanning 3 000 years and including such things as an abnormally gifted lover, a vindictive and very dangerous reincarnated adversary and a world turned upside down by passionate love and seething hate. As Helle herself puts it: She didn’t want to be the heroine of a far-flung, time-spanning adventure best fit for a Hollywood fantasy, or have her fate tied down without any choice in the matter. She wanted to be normal Helle, with no strange baggage in the form of previous lives and vindictive jilted suitors.

Unfortunately, once Helle meets Jason, it’s too late. She can no more tear herself free from the sticky strands of time and fate that bind them than she can amputate her foot. Besides, she doesn’t want to. It’s not Jason that’s the trouble—it’s that damned nemesis of theirs, Sam Woolf, that has Helle waking up at night shivering with fear.

This my foray into contemporary romance may not leave me shivering with fear, but I do suffer the odd frisson of nervous anticipation: will the readers like it? I comfort myself with the thought that no matter what, I have followed my heart and seen this project to completion—a bit like the heroine of a romance does every time she decides to trust her feelings. A story that has been burning little holes in my heart since well over a decade is now told. I can but open my hands and set it free, hoping it will fly and soar.

Meanwhile, I return to some of my other WIPs. So if you excuse me, dear Jo and Jaffa, I must run: I have a situation to sort in the late 13th century before things turn really, really nasty. Edward I is a dangerous king to rile.

About Anna

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. She has recently released the first in a new series, The Wanderer. This time, she steps out of her normal historical context and A Torch in His Heart is with a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. She has loved writing it – she hopes her readers will like reading it just as much. 

Find out more about Anna by visiting 

Website

Twitter @|Anna_Belfrage

Amazon 

Blog Tour ~ A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to be part of the Blog Tour for A Christmas Gift

Avon Books UK
My thanks to the publishers for the invitation to the blog tour and for my copy of the book to review

What's it all about..

Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.

To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?

Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends new and old make this a Christmas to remember after all?

My thoughts about it..

There's always something exciting about reading a Christmas story and although it's only October this is one of those lovely Sue Moorcroft stories which is perfect reading for the forthcoming festive season... which will be here before we know it !

Georgine loves the festive season but this year, after a break up with her boyfriend, she is struggling to make ends meet and so, to help take her mind of her financial worries, she puts all her efforts into producing the Christmas show at, Acting Instrumental, the local performing arts college where she works as events director. However, Georgine is unprepared for the effect that her handsome new assistant, Joe Blackthorn, has on her, but, as she is about to discover, sometimes events from the past can't be kept buried forever.

The author writes her lovely stories with a cast of wonderful characters who stay with you long after you have finished reading of their adventures. I really enjoyed getting to know Georgine, as she is a feisty and determined heroine, and, of course, the added inclusion of a handsome hero, with something of a dark past, made reading the story all the more interesting! The added snippets of what goes on behind the scenes as the Acting Instrumental students get ready for their Christmas performance adds a lovely light touch which counteracts some of the darker elements of the story. 

There is no doubt that the quaint village of Middledip with its snow covered streets and festive tree will get you right into the Christmas spirit with a story which is made all the more festive by being wrapped up in the most delightful cover. A Christmas Gift is a wonderful seasonal story about the possibilities of love and friendship, of being able to put the past behind you and move forward into a new future.

About the Author

Sue Moorcroft writes ward winning contemporary fiction of life and love. She also writes short stories, serial, articles, columns, courses and writing 'howto'.

Website

Twitter @SueMoorcroftAuthor #AChristmasGift

@AvonBooksUK

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Amazon UK

Northern Writer ~ Andrew John Rainnie

I am delighted to bring a new feature to Jaffareadstoo which showcases

 the work of authors who live and write in the North

✨ Here's Scottish writer and filmmaker : Andrew John Rainnie ✨

Hi Andrew, and welcome to Jaffareadstoo. 

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

My name is Andrew, and I'm a writer and filmmaker from Glasgow.  I have lots of fingers in lots of pies; I write short and feature films, and occasionally direct them. I also produce music videos and other film projects through my company, Rain Fire Films, and run a website helping people explore Glasgow, www.discoverglasgow.org. I also write for an American gaming website, Warp Zoned.

In short, I’m a workaholic!

I started as an author at a very young age writing short stories, although they were not very short and the bane of my school teacher's lives, who had to read them and mark them. As I grew older, I drifted towards screenwriting through a love of film. I studied English Lit and Film at the University of Glasgow, then completed a Masters in Screenwriting at Bournemouth University. It was while I was there that I started penning the Spirits of Vengeance series, but one of my lecturers, Rosie Cullen, suggested that it was too dense and long for a screenplay and that it may be better material for a book.

Would you say that your novels are influenced by your northern background and how have the people and its landscape shaped your stories?

It's funny you ask that, because I actually finished the very first draft on a year out travelling the world. I remember I was in an Australian hostel, and it was raining, so I spent a few hours doing the last chapter and celebrated with a stubby!

Up until then, I would say the Scottish landscape had certainly inspired the fictional world of Enara. There are parts where its lakes and grasslands and mount ranges that all come from my love of the Highlands. As it's a fantasy book, it takes place in a wide range of climates and places, so I feel that it's more a reflection of Earth as a whole. I remember travelling through Bolivia and being so inspired by the topography and mountain ranges. Different cities or regions in the book are inspired by different parts of the world. In the upcoming second book, The Assassin of Araneque, we see more of the land of Heroshin, which is a fusion of Scottish and Nordic in terms of architecture and culture.

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

When the first book launched, it was a self-published endeavour, and a lot of the marketing was through social media and book blogs. I did a small book launch party and had badges and bookmarks made up which was great and people really got behind it. 

Since then, the series has been signed up by a publisher, Black Wolf, who organise book signings which is certainly a useful event to be able to do.

But I think in Glasgow there are several opportunities if you look for them. There are lots of independent book shops, and I am hoping to see if I can get my books in them rather than just the bigger online stores. I'm also going to inquire for more interviews like this in local publications, as I ignored written press the first time around.

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

It's rare that I do, to be honest. I lived in London for six years, and I had a screenwriters group there, but I rarely have time to meet people these days. I am friends with several authors, but our friendship was not formed because we write.

I follow many authors on social media, especially Twitter, but writing is one of many parts of my life, and I don't mind the solitude of it. In fact, I relish the time I get to spend alone with my characters!

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?

Again, now that there is a publisher involved, I am hoping there will be more opportunities for me to take the book into book shops and libraries. I think my problem is that I see my role on Spirits of Vengeance as the writer, not the salesman, when I am in fact both. It's a strange revelation and for me it requires adopting a different persona. Once the second book is done, I'll be liaising with the publisher to see what we can do to promote it, and what I can do personally to meet new people.

Black Wolf Edition and Publishing
April 2018

Website

Twitter @AndrewRainnie

Amazon UK

Huge thanks to Andrew for being my special guest on the blog today

Coming next : Amy Lord

Sunday WW1 Remembered...

Battle of Canal du Nord 27th September - 1 October 1918

The Canal du Nord is a 95 km canal in northern France which was developed to allow the French coal mining companies to compete with foreign mining production and transportation. At the outbreak of war in 1914 canal construction was stopped and during the war there was widespread damage to the canal.

The Battle of Canal du Nord was part of the the Hundred Days offensive and took place on the outskirts of Cambrai between the 27th September and the 1st October 1918.

The Hundred Days offensive brought victory but with huge loss of life. Allied casualties between August and November 1918 were approximately, 700,000 with German losses slightly higher 760,000.

Twelve Victoria Crosses were awarded during the Battle of Canal du Nord :

Acting Lieutenant-Colonel John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.

Captain John MacGregor, 2nd Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles.

Captain Cyril Hubert Frisby, 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards.

Lieutenant Graham Thomson Lyall, 102nd (North British Columbia) Battalion, CEF.

Lieutenant Samuel Lewis Honey, 78th Battalion (Winnipeg Grenadiers), CEF.

Lieutenant George Fraser Kerr, 3rd Battalion (Toronto Regiment), CEF.

Lieutenant Milton Fowler Gregg, Royal Canadian Regiment.

Sergeant William Merrifield, 4th (Central Ontario) Battalion, CEF.

Sergeant Frederick Charles Riggs, 6th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.

Corporal Thomas Neely, 8th Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster).

Lance-Corporal Thomas Norman Jackson, 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards.

Private Henry Tandey, 5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).

The Victoria Cross is the highest award in the British Honours System. It is awarded for :

... most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy...

It bears the motto : For Valour

Originally the ribbon was dark blue for Royal Navy recipients and crimson (described as 'red' in the Warrants) for the Army. After the formation of the Royal Air Force (1 April 1918) the crimson ribbon (sometimes described as 'claret', 'maroon' or 'dark red') was adopted for all recipients. ( Source: IWM)

© IWM (OMD 2406)