Sharon reviews There is Always a Tomorrow by Anna Belfrage

Today Sharon Bennett Connolly reviews There is Always a Tomorrow, the fabulous latest instalment of The Graham Saga from Anna Belfrage. The author has kindly offered an ebook as a giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous story, simply leave a comment below of on our Facebook Page.

The winner will be drawn on 3rd January 2018.
Good luck!

It is 1692 and the Colony of Maryland is still adapting to the consequences of Coode’s Rebellion some years previously. Religious tolerance in the colony is now a thing of the past, but safe in their home, Alex and Matthew Graham have no reason to suspect they will become embroiled in the ongoing religious conflicts—until one of their sons betrays their friend Carlos Muñoz to the authorities.

Matthew Graham does not leave his friends to rot—not even if they’re papist priests—so soon enough most of the Graham family is involved in a rescue attempt, desperate to save Carlos from a sentence that may well kill him.
Meanwhile, in London little Rachel is going through hell. In a matter of months she loses everything, even her surname, as apparently her father is not Master Cooke but one Jacob Graham. Not that her paternity matters when her entire life implodes.

Will Alex and Matthew be able to help their unknown grandchild? More importantly, will Rachel want their help?

Anna Belfrage has to be one of the best authors around today. She has an incredible talent for storytelling and has a knack of drawing the reader in, and not letting them go! 

I was introduced to Anna Belfrage through her King's Greatest Enemy series, set in the time of Edward II and fell in love with her writing instantly. I am, therefore, a late-comer to the Graham Saga. I have only read the first couple of books in the series when Anna Belfrage asked me if I would like to review  There is Always a Tomorrow, the ninth book in the series. I was a bit dubious, wondering if I would be able to follow the story, but I needn't have worried. Even if this was your introduction to the Graham's you would have no problem following the story, and the author has a very subtle way of introducing the backstory as you go along. It's like meeting an old friend in town - catching up on the bits you've missed as you talk about what's happening now.

The author really invests her passion for writing in her  characters.  You find yourself hoping beyond hope that all will turn out well for them. But, of course, even if things do turn out well, it is not necessarily in a way you would expect.

The  large dark-panelled room was crammed, every seat available on the low benches taken. The majority were men - and, to hear them, convinced every papist deserved to die. But there, to the right, were their friends. Martin paled and half rose at the sight of his brother, but Robert waved him down to sit. Alex Graham was not to be thus stopped. Before Mathew had grabbed hold of her, she was  forging a path towards them.

"Have these men eaten?" she demanded of the magistrate. "Look at them! What have you done? Locked them up in a cellar somewhere and left them to rot?"

The magistrate scowled at her, but the transferred his glare to one of the guards.

"Well?" he barked. "Answer the question, man!"

"They've had some bread," the guard said defensively. Carlos had to smile at how the man retreated before Alex's wrath.

"Some bread?" Alex advanced upon him, "They've been in your cell for over two months and all you've given them is some bread?"

The magistrate held up his hand. "They've been fed," he said coldly.

"Fed?" Alex drew in a breath, but before she could say anything, Matthew had her by the arm.

"Come awa," he said. "You've made your point, lass. These two men have been despicably treated, and I am sure our revered magistrate will ensure those guilty will be adequately punished."

Matthew Graham was an imposing man, and under his fierce gaze, the magistrate wilted somewhat.

There is action, adventure, suspense and tension by the bucket-load. This is the story of a family trying to survive, supporting each other and their friends. Anna Belfrage draws in the politics and religious intolerances of the time, to give the reader a story which is all-consuming; an experience for all the senses and emotions. Whether the setting is a London parlour, a squalid prison or the GRaham family's homestead in the American colonies, Annd Belfrage transports the reader there with her consummate skill, recreating the sights, sounds, smells of the locale and the fears, hopes and anticipation of the characters.

The story comes to life around its characters. Alex and Matthew are now the head of a rather large family of children, grandchildren, and probably should be thinking of retiring. However, they are still the couple that everyone looks to in order to solve problems and keep everything together. You find yourself falling in love with them from the  opening pages, cheering them on and hoping they can overcome their tribulations. Their son, Samuel,  is split in two by his loyalty to his birth parents, and to his adpoted native American family. He is just lovely - such a sweet boy. And granddaughter Rachel is an abused child you want to love, but her anger and pain make her hit out and hurt those who want to care for her. Her story is touchingly and skillfully told, leaving the reader emotionally drained.

There is Always a Tomorrow is a treasure of a story. It is not all sunshine and flowers and the story will take you through the full range of emotions. It had me smiling in some places and in tears in others - always the sign of a good story. Beautifully written, it transports you back to the early days of Colonial America, so much so that you get the dust in your nostrils!

About the Author

I was always going to be a writer - well in between being an Arctic explorer, a crusader or Richard Lionheart's favourite page (no double entendre intended - I was far too innocent at the time) Anyway, not for me the world of nine to five, of mortgages and salary checks. Oh no; I was going to be a free spirit, an impoverished but happy writer, slaving away in a garret room.

Life happened. (It does, doesn't it?) I found myself the bemused holder of a degree in Business Admin, and a couple of years later I was juggling a challenging career, four kids, a husband (or was he juggling me?) a jungle of a garden, a dog, a house ... Not much time for writing there, let me tell you. At most, I stole a moment here or there.

Fortunately, kids grow up. My stolen moments became hours, became days, weeks, months... (I still work. I no longer garden - one must prioritise) It is an obsession, this writing thing. It is a joy and a miracle, a constant itch and an inroad to new people, new places, new times.

You can find Anna at her Website and blog. And you can buy her books here

About Sharon Bennett Connolly

Sharon has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.
Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Heroines of the Medieval World,  is now available in hardback in the UK from both Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK and worldwide from Book Depository. It is also available on Kindle in both the UK and USA and will be available in Hardback from Amazon US from 1 May 2018.

Lisl Reviews: To Catch a Falling Star

To Catch a Falling Star by Anna Belfrage

Lisl reviews and reminisces about The Graham Saga

See below for your chance to win a FREE COPY of 

To Catch a Falling Star

Drawing June 13
The drawing has been held and a winner announced at Facebook.
Please see new reviews for more chances!

The Prodigal Son is a recipient
of the B.R.A.G. Medallion 

As the eighth and final installment in Anna Belfrage’s The Graham Saga series, To Catch a Falling Star found me reluctant to read as well as hungry to devour it. I’d accidentally fallen in with Alex Lind, who beckoned me into her world—both of them, time traveler that she is—when I reviewed number three, The Prodigal Son. It transported me and, knowing I simply had to read all from the start, I set out, smugly comfortable with my fat stack of books, assured of a brilliant journey that would last for some time to come. Reading Falling Star’s opening lines began the end of this long journey.

Isaac Lind should not have drunk quite as much as he did that evening, but flushed by the success of his latest exhibition, he allowed himself to be dragged along, to be toasted in pint after pint of lager.

He caressed the wooden frame of the picture, a depiction of a somnolent courtyard[…] In the middle a fountain, a constant welling of water[…] In olive greens and muted browns, with the odd dash of whites and startling blues, the water spilled over the fountain’s edge to fall in transparent drops towards the ground[…] He tried to break eye contact with the falling water, but now he heard it as well, the pitter-patter of drops on wet stone, the trickling sound of water running through a narrow channel, and there, just where he had painted it, a minute point of white beckoned and promised, entrapping his eyes in a shaft of dazzling light.

A Rip in the Veil is a B.R.A.G.
Medallion honoree and Book
of the Month Award winner

Isaac’s mother, Alex, had fallen through a rip in the veil of time when he was just a toddler, and apart from one short encounter, has not seen her since. His grandmother’s paintings having played a role in these events, this opening then serves as foreboding. Now 32, a veteran time traveler at it again, certainly he may be able to see his mother once more. Apart from the vagaries of shifting through eras, the relationship is complicated by mother and son’s personal history, pertaining both to Isaac’s birth as well as his perception of Alex’s “abandonment” of him. Indeed, she chose to remain in the seventeenth century where she landed, and by the time Isaac falls through once more, she has raised a family, homesteaded in the colonies and seen too much in the passage of her “adopted” time.

Initially, Isaac’s appearance is welcome to those familiar with the saga, for he has not played much of a role in the previous installments, apart from his one “visit,” although Alex does guiltily think of him from time to time. But even new readers fall in quickly, given Belfrage’s masterful shaping of dialogue and events that fill in pertinent bits of information. Isaac is a sympathetic character and from the get-go, readers follow him hopefully.

As these events play out, Alex is experiencing a separation of her own. After years of feuding between her husband, Matthew, and his younger brother, Luke—often with terrible consequences—a truce of sorts has been called and the couple prepare to leave their colonial home, taking only a portion of their family back to Scotland. Having been forced out of their country in the wake of religious persecution, she now had grown roots in her new land and leaving it, and her children, is devastating.

Meeting up with Isaac once more, as well as returning to Scotland, produces mixed feelings within Alex. She must face her guilt and work through the confrontations with her confused and unhappy son, as well as the long-ago losses and compounded homesickness when she sees how far they have grown from Hillview, Matthew’s ancestral home. Her husband begins to bond more closely with Luke, who appears to be trying to sort out their past, and Belfrage give us greater glimpses into Luke’s life as well as his changing perceptions of his world and the individuals who populate it. Her treatment of the younger Graham brother is especially skillfully woven because we are kept in a questioning state: “Exactly how hard do old habits die?” Just when we think things have changed, something else occurs, bringing our assumptions into question, though knowing answers could come from any direction.

The author deals with historical reality with the skillful dexterity she utilizes in the preceding seven books. Religious persecution—in the colonies as well as Scotland—battles and factual historical figures all play a role she does not whitewash, even to the detriment of Alex’s relationship with Matthew. Belfrage moves us between eras and places with a hand so adroit we not only fall into the story, but also follow along with baited breath, around every obstacle and with an eye out for anything that might come between our players and their goals.

Life being what it is in seventeenth-century Scotland, adversity and heartbreak are constant companions. Even here, what characters see and how they see it, wraps us into their destinies, makes us care about them all the more. At times they make the best of it, while on other occasions, not so much: “The night was bitterly cold, the stars strewn like shards of crushed glass on a velvet background.” But so often even the bitter language of their love rises within a bouquet of poetry, reminding us, and perhaps them, that life is too precious not to move forward.

While the story opens with Isaac and moves at one point for a long spell back to Maryland, it really is Alex and Matthew’s tale, with the degrees of separation surrounding them: they are the nucleus, and they move forward with heartbreak and laughter, sharing the story of their loves and their losses, accepting some realities, while left wondering about others. At their now-advanced ages, Matthew and Alex begin to wonder about future Grahams. “Was there anything left of them in the twenty-first century? Would there be someone living here, in their place, and would that person’s name be Graham?” Given the strange way they came together, how exactly would this work? Even this element of the story unites characters with readers, as Belfrage weaves time together in such a fashion that we recognize ourselves in those who came before, and how their choices affect the lives we live today.

Having completed this last of the eight novels of The Graham Saga, it is perhaps easy to overlook—this is how seamlessly Belfrage writes us all together—that the re-reading of the series sets us all upon a circular sort of journey, much like the one Alex possibly faces, when her seventeenth-century self passes on and time marches forward until her original era dawns, and she is born again. Will she re-live it all in the same way we will when we go back to the beginning?

To Catch a Falling Star ties together some loose ends, answers some questions as its creator draws the Grahams’ story to a close. Alex recalls her first night with Matthew on a Scottish moor, and Jacob, her young son, gone too soon. She caresses a carved wooden infant, much as she did the one Matthew had made for her on that moor, as she agonized over her feelings for the baby Isaac. As we—reader and Alex alike—recall the start of her journey, she and Matthew are passing into a new phase of life. “Colour was returning to their world, greys morphing back to greens and browns, reds and blues.” One can’t help but recall the colors Isaac sees just before his second passage, as one world spills into another, both then and now.

It is a difficult moment, for all the remembering, and new questions, about future as well as past, and knowing this is the end of the long journey once embarked upon with such pleasure, aware there was so much more ahead. Alex herself used to say she would make the same choice—to stay—if she were to do it all over again. For all the heartbreak, grief and terror, there is also immense joy, love and bonding of souls in these tales, these “desert island books,” as another author refers to them, and like Alex, we would do it all over again as well. And we will.  

Anna Belfrage has so generously offered a Kindle copy of To Catch a Falling Star for one lucky winner. For your chance to win, simply comment below OR at this review's Facebook thread, located here.  

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See Louise Rule's sister review for 
To Catch a Falling Star 

Anna Belfrage can be found on Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, on her website and at her fantabulous blog, where you can learn much more about the author, her projects, the Grahams and her own world.

Louise Reviews To Catch a Falling Star by Anna Belfrage

Would you like to win a FREE COPY of To Catch a Falling Star? See how below!
Drawing June 10

The drawing has been held and a winner announced at Facebook.
Please see new reviews for more chances!

To Catch a Falling Star - Book eight in The Graham Saga by Anna Belfrage

Have you ever read a series, and at the end of it, wondered just what did happen to so-and-so? Have you been frustrated about not knowing? Have the loose ends been left wafting carelessly?

Anna Belfrage's Graham Saga won't leave you feeling this way. I have read many series: more often than not they have been between four and eight books long, some longer, some less; The Graham Saga consists of eight books. Each book can be read in isolation from the others; however, Belfrage joins them all together in such a way that the reader is not left wondering about the reason why that character, for example, is behaving in such-and-such a way. There are no loose ends. Each end gradually gets tied to its fellow as the story progresses through all the books. There is no hurried joining of long forgotten threads at the end, and there is no wondering about the why, what or who.

Belfrage's first book in the series, A Rip in the Veil, is the first step into the journey of Alexandra Ruth Lind. It's a journey that will take the reader through many highs and lows, twisting the readers' nerves to their nth degree, and then releasing the reader to breathe again. 

Belfrage's first book begins:

The radio died first. Halfway through Enrique Iglesias' 'Hero' there was a burst of static and the display went black. The dashboard lights gave up one by one, the steering wheel locked, the engine coughed, and the BMW glided to a stop by a crossroads.

So begins our journey alongside Alex Lind. The jeopardy hook has been cast and the reader, from the very beginning, is holding their breath.

As the reader journeys through each book, and it is a journey, they become deeply acquainted with the ever growing family Graham. These characters are written in such detail, such dimension, that the reader cannot help but become involved, albeit from the side-lines. There is a deftness of language that Belfrage invests in her characters. The modern language of Alex Lind, for example, combines with the seventeenth century language of her husband, Matthew Graham. It is interesting when the juxtaposition of the twentieth/twenty-first century language abuts the language of the seventeenth century. One prime example, which is first evident in book one, is the constant use of the word okay, by Alex. This is a complete unknown word in the seventeenth century.

The Online Etymology Dictionary states:

1839, only survivor of a slang fad in Boston and New York c. 1838-9 for abbreviations of common phrases with deliberate, jocular misspellings (such as K.G. for "no go," as if spelled "know go;" N.C. for "'nuff ced;" K.Y. for "know yuse"). In the case of O.K., the abbreviation is of "Oll Korrect."

There is a perpetual use of this word throughout the entire series, seeping into the family's own language, and becomes a part of them. The same applies with another twentieth century word that Belfrage uses: teenager in book four, A Newfound Land. As with okay, not at first seeming anachronistic, until Belfrage has Matthew Graham questioning the word which has been used.

The Online Etymology Dictionary states:

Teenager (n), also teen ager, teen-ager; 1922, derived noun from teenage (q.v.). The earlier word for this was teener, attested in American English from 1894, and teen had been used as a noun to mean "teen-aged person" 1818, though this was not common before twentierh century.

When I came to read the final book in Belfrage's Graham Saga, I could not imagine not having another book to look forward to. After drawing in a steadying breath, I started reading. I knew, from the previous books, that this would also be a white knuckle ride for the Grahams.

Titles for books are so important, as I am sure you will agree. To Catch a Falling Star had me wondering what this title could possibly mean. The previous seven book titles became evident in the reading. The title for the final book, however, had me wondering. Was I going to read that one of my favourite characters had come to the end of their life? Maybe. Was there going to be dire circumstances through which the characters would have to travel? Well, yes, as always, the Graham's lives were fraught with highs and lows, peace, and trouble, also the continuing conflicts with religious beliefs. To Catch a Falling Star is the perfect title for the final book, and I only truly felt this once I had read the final chapter. Throughout the book there is a subtle tying of lives to their roots, a bringing together of each strand so that it can be joined to its fellow. The seamless nature in which Belfrage accomplishes this task, for surely it must be a task, is breath-taking.

Belfrage confronts many ideals within her books, such as, religion, race, and slavery, to mention but a few. These subjects are not handled tentatively, but with great force and assurance, bringing to the forefront all that each subject entails. These have been woven into the books, not as a demonstration that Belfrage knows much about these subjects, for surely she does, it's more that she has highlighted, in an erudite fashion, how these subjects affect each and every one of us, not just then, back in the seventeenth century, but even now. The past does inform and influence the future. Belfrage tackles issues that we are aware of, but in the reading, with that issue placed upon a character, it becomes more personal. The issue becomes implanted, and for me at least, lead to my reading more about those issues when I had finished each book. To say that Belfrage tugs at our psyche is an understatement. The issues become the force which drives the story forward, from the first through to the last book.

To Catch a Falling Star has the most profound moments between father and daughter, between sister and sister, and between sister and husband, and not least, between mother and child. The profundity of Belfrage's writing has laid before me, as a writer, that there is most assuredly an accountability to the reader. That accountability is to write the best book that is possible to write, and to give the reader a worthwhile experience.

With The Graham Saga, there can be no definitive ending, after all, the family live on. So, their future becomes speculative, and with the knowledge of the books which have gone before, the reader can, with some educated guessing, imagine what befalls each one; or can they? Even then, however, I am sure you will agree, if you have travelled through all eight books, there is a bright hope that Belfrage will concede to entertain us with more stories of The Graham Saga. There is a saying that it is always better to leave the party early. I would hope, most sincerely, however, that Anna Belfrage will honour us with an encore.

The Graham Saga:

A Rip in the Veil; Like Chaff in the Wind; The Prodigal Son; Newfound Land; Serpents in the Garden; Wither Thou Goest; and concluding with To Catch a Falling Star.

Anna Belfrage has so generously offered a FREE COPY of To Catch a Falling Star in Kindle format for one lucky winner. To get your name in the hat, simply comment below or at this review's Facebook thread, located here. 

We will draw a name from commenters 

on June 10. Good luck!

You can read more about Anna Belfrage on her website on Facebook, on Twitter and on her blog.

Louise E. Rule is the author of Future Confronted and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and on her blog.

Guest Post: Anna Belfrage and Alex Graham

To read Lisl's review of Anna Belfrage's Book of the Month Award-winning novel A Rip in the Veil, click here.

Lose some, win some - Alex Graham and Anna discuss the consequences of slipping through time

There was something dejected about Alex that autumn day. She came walking without her normal bounce, eyes turned inward, and I scooted to the side, patting at the stone beside me in invitation.

Alex sighed – deeply.

“What’s the matter?” I asked, running recent events through my head. As far as I could make out, she and Matthew were as happy as always, both of them lit up from within in each other’s presence. I pursed my mouth; at times, I worried that I’d made them too dependent on each other, thereby making them devastatingly vulnerable to the other’s absence. Should anything happen to either of them…My thoughts drifted away, and the outline of book number two in the series took shape, making my stomach knot itself in protest. Could I really put them through that much pain? So many horrors?

Yet another sigh from Alex returned me to the present – well, the present in the sense that here I was, having a therapeutic conversation with my make-believe (but oh, so real) protagonist of The Graham Saga. And before you all roll your eyes at me, muttering depreciating comments about batty writers, let me state that I firmly believe all writers develop strong relationships with their characters. It’s just that some prefer not to shout this to the world at large…

“Honey?” I stroked her back. The russet broadcloth strained over her rounded back, Joan’s former bodice a tad too small, having been let out to fit Alex’s substantially rounder frame. Don’t get me wrong; it’s more a question of Joan being very thin. The woman shares her uncommon height with her brother Matthew, but where he is muscle and wide shoulders, a strong broad chest and long, powerful legs, Joan is thin and supple like a willow twig – and as unbreakable.

“One of those days,” Alex muttered. She extended her legs, studying her worn boots. “Sometimes…” She bit off, shaking her head.

“Yes?” I prompted.

“I miss it,” she said simply. “I miss the buzz, the sound of music spilling from a radio, the smell of sun on hot asphalt, the luxury of electricity, of hot water at the turn of a tap.” She kicked at a rock. “But that’s just stuff, right? I can do without the stuff…” She chuckled, somewhat sadly. “…well, I have to do without the stuff, don’t I? – but today I miss the people.”

“Like Magnus,” I said. Who wouldn’t miss a father like Magnus? Into this tall blond man, I’d poured all the qualities I would have liked in a parent – and some of them my real father most definitely had, but most he didn’t.

“Yeah.” Alex gave me quick look. “You miss him too, don’t you?”

“Magnus?” I shook my head. “I can find him anytime I want – I just have to open one of my manuscripts.”

“Uh-uh. That wasn’t what I meant.” Alex shoved at me. “I meant your father.”

Okay, so how had this conversation ended up being about me? But the thing is, it’s difficult to lie to your characters – after all, they’re a part of you, and so to lie to them is to lie to yourself.

“I do.” I smiled at nothing in particular. “But especially I miss that there is so little to miss, you know?”

“Like with my mother.” Alex’s mouth tightened. She disliked talking about Mercedes – and in her present 17^th century environment it made sense not to talk about a woman who painted portals through time. Being a witch in the here and now came with substantial risks.

“Maybe.” I rubbed at a spot of something greasy on her sleeve.

“Tallow,” she explained. “Those candles stink like hell.” She leaned back, face to the weak sun, and closed her eyes. “Will I ever see them again?”

“Magnus and John, you mean?”

“No, Tony Blair and Clinton,” she retorted sarcastically. “Will I?” Her voice softened, a begging quality to it.

“I don’t know.” I took a deep breath. “If I write you back, I may not be able to ensure your return to Matthew.”

Her face paled, the fingers on the stone tightening on the moss. “Why not? You’re the writer.”

“Logic.” I tugged at a stand of faded grass. “You fell through time due to a number of circumstances. Yes, you could – potentially – be dragged back the same way. But then what? You think I’ll be able to produce yet another humongous thunderstorm?”

“But her paintings!” Alex shivered, pulling the shawl closer round her shoulders. “I can use one of them, can’t I?”

“Sorry, honey. Magnus has destroyed them all.” Not quite – but not even Magnus knew he’d missed one. I leaned close enough to see her eyes. “I can write you back – of course I can. But if I do, you’ll probably never see Matthew again.”

“Never?” Her mouth wobbled. Her gaze locked on the distant house, the dark slate of the roof wet after the recent shower. The door to the kitchen opened and the household filed out, men and women in dark clothes who spoke to each other as they made their way across the yard.

“Bible class done?” I asked, knowing for a fact Alex was more than creative when it came to avoiding these – in her opinion – far too lengthy discussions about God and faith. A point of contention between her and Matthew.

“Obviously.” She fiddled with her cap, ensuring it covered her hair. “He could come with me.”

“He could. But do you think he would be happy there?” I had serious doubts about that. Matthew Graham had his roots firmly planted in the soils of his day and age. Alex considered this in silence while adjusting her shawl and collar.

“No.” She sounded dejected. “It would kill him, I think. He belongs here.” And so, per definition, do you, I thought, smiling in her direction. Not that she noticed, all her attention trained on the house.

Matthew appeared in the doorway, and beside me Alex softened, mouth curving into a smile, hitherto tense shoulders dropping an inch or so. She ate him with her eyes, this tall well-built man with dark, curling hair. As if drawn by magnets, his gaze leapt up the hillside, finding her. He raised his hand and came striding towards us – well, her. Sometimes, Matthew tended to ignore my presence.

“He’s mad at me,” she stated, watching his movements.

“Yeah, he doesn’t like it when you miss class,” I teased. I covered her hand. “So what will it be, Alex? Will you stay here, with him, or go back to John? To Magnus and Isaac?”

At the mention of her son, she started. “Isaac,” she said softly. “Is he alright?”

“He is. Between them, John and Magnus are spoiling him rotten.”

“So they’re all doing fine without me, aren’t they?” Alex stood up, brushing her apron into neatness.

“They are. Yes, they miss you, but life goes on.”

“It wouldn’t for him,” she said, looking at the man presently leaping up the slope. “And it wouldn’t for me either – not without him.”

“No,” I agreed. “It would be one long slow march towards death – for both of you.”

“I’m staying.” She was already moving away from me, to him. I watched as they met, and whatever remarks he had planned to make about her absence were forgotten when she flung her arms around his neck.

“Lass?” He wiped at her face. “Why are you weeping?”

Alex just shook her head, rising on her toes to kiss him into silence. Large hands slid round her waist and drew her close – impossibly close. He murmured her name when she released his mouth, hazel eyes wide and luminous as he looked at her.

I left them to it – at times, being a writer is uncomfortably like being a Peeping Tom. With a little wave I walked off. None of them noticed, lost in their own private little world. As it should be, I suppose. After all, I’d created them to be like that – two halves made a whole, at their strongest when together, at their weakest when apart.

Note: There are two FREE COPIES of A Rip in the Veil to gift; to enter the drawing, simply comment at Lisl's review here or the related Facebook thread located here. 

Lisl's Bits and Bobs: Of Pies, Books and Other Essentials, an Interview with Anna Belfrage

Of Pies, Books and Other Essentials

By now, Anna and I know each other surprisingly well for two people who've only met over the Internet. I'm definitely mindful that she's a chocolate addict; she's aware I'm not. What more does one need to know? Oh, right: that we both love books, magical stories and northern summers. 

And it was magical indeed that we were recently able to sit down together for a little chat.

(Remember to see below for information re: the giveaway!)

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Hello, Anna, so good to see you again! It’s been awhile since we’ve sat down for a chat together! Thanks so much for joining me here today. I got a little ambitious this time. (gestures to plate)

What, you’ve made me chocolate torte – and you don’t even like chocolate? How lucky I brought a lemon meringue pie! (whips out pie)

Wow, just as you promised! That was super sweet! Although… (peers at pie)…it’s a bit, umm, droopy?

I know, the meringue looks sort of weird, the heat in my oven is a bit uneven, but I can assure you it tastes great.

I’m all for testing that theory! (picks up cutter) Well, first of all I’d like to congratulate you on winning The Review’s Book of the Month award! I found myself becoming more and more excited as reveal day drew closer, that’s how much I wanted people to know about A Rip in the Veil.

I think I’m as excited as you are – and very, very honoured. To be quite honest, I’ve been considering to relearn how to cartwheel just to celebrate, but that little effort resulted in a sprained wrist – and three sons who were falling over laughing. Huh: as if they can cartwheel!

(chuckles) You spoke briefly last time about Alex, who travels in time back to 17^th century Scotland and meets up with Matthew Graham, and indicated she was not modeled on any person you knew. What about other characters or events? Do any of them have roots in past memories? I suppose I’m fascinated when I learn of the way writers bring some of their memories to life in association with those who populate their stories. If they're all new from your imagination, how did they all develop—many at once or did they come as you went along? Do you have full backgrounds laid out for them?

The more I write, the more I realise that characters spring into life through different channels. Quite often, I see someone doing something – like the auditor who had this habit of always fiddling with her long hair. In my books, it is Matthew doing the fiddling with Alex’s hair, but the gesture comes from a PWC [Price Waterhouse Cooper] partner.

Some characters do have a real life model. Mrs Gordon in A Rip in the Veil owes a lot to Elsa, my mother-in-law. It was Elsa who taught me to knit, it was Elsa who laughed her head off the first time we met and the first thing that happened was that my pants split all along the inside seam. (What can I say? I wanted to impress, so I wore my best pants, unfortunately a tad too tight.)

In general, no, my characters do not appear as fully-fledged Athenas, springing out to meet the world. Some are reticent – Matthew did not want to share the humiliating experiences at the hands of his wife and brother – some are too unformed. Usually, they come to me as voices first, I hear snippets of conversations, words that allow me to grasp how they think and why they think that way. From the voices, I progress to visual impressions – but I am not interested in detailed descriptions of what they might look like, I want my readers to fill in the blanks for themselves. I think that as a writer, one must decide which characters need a full background and which don’t – but even the secondary personages must be brought to life, become relevant to the protagonists. Otherwise, they serve no purpose.

What is important when writing historical fiction is to ensure your characters fit the period. This requires a lot of research – very varied research covering religious views, reading matters, dress, diet, etc. What I want to achieve is a sense of immersion that will allow me to paint the period for my readers, without coming across as a heavy-handed know-all. A fine balancing act, let me tell you.

What does your writing day look like? What are some of your consistent habits that pave the way through your writing sessions? Do you set a certain word count goal for each day?

My writing day is very much built round my professional persona. I work an average 55-60 hour week, and per definition, writing is something I do in my spare time. I write something every day. Every day. When I’m doing first drafts, I average 1,500 - 2,000 words a day, while also writing blog posts and stuff like that.  My books tend to be somewhere around 120,000 words, give or take, so that means I finish a draft in 60 – 90 days, after which I am totally wiped out for a week or so, my mind numb.

When I’m not in first draft mode, I probably write half as much a day, mostly rewrites or little jottings that will, over time, become a new book.

Did you have the book (or series) idea and map it out or outline it before you started? Or did you write events out as they happened? What are some difficulties you came up against when writing the novel? What was the easiest part of writing this book?

I had a beginning, I had a couple of scenes, and I had four different endings, one so horribly sad I still can’t read it without crying. 

The major challenge occurs when you realise that the pivotal scene you’d spent so much time developing isn’t going to work because the characters have become very different from what you originally envisioned, and they would NEVER act that way.

Not so sure there was an easy part, but it sure helped that Alex and Matthew were immediately attracted to each other.

How often did you re-write passages from or edit A Rip in the Veil? This question comes specifically from my second reading of the book when I saw a lot of techniques that created links I’m not sure I caught onto the first time.

(Laughs out loud) I have 78 drafts of A Rip in the Veil –

(gasps)

—and I am very flattered to hear that you noticed the effort I’ve put into linking between times and characters. With the exception of two scenes – one at the end of chapter 11, the other at the end of chapter 25 – everything has been rewritten, multiple times. Quite often, it is just a couple of words that have been changed, but I tend to say that for every word that ends up in the final version, I’ve written five more.

Sooo…from a storyline perspective, does the final version resemble the first? Are they the same?

I think the Alex and Matthew relationship in the final version is very much in line with the first version. Intermediate events, however, differ, and I had to swap a couple of scenes around right at the end. Plus I deleted some of the more mushy parts and had the pleasure of allowing Hector Olivares to develop into quite the sinister character, however legitimate some of his anger may be.

Are certain types of scenes more difficult for you to write than others? Are you more challenged by dialogue or narration?

I don’t like writing scenes in which my characters go through pain – or loss. But these scenes are often fundamental to a book, so as a writer, there is no way around it. When writing Alex’s and Matthew’s story, for example, I couldn’t shy away from the fact that most parents in the 17^th century experienced losing a child. I definitely didn’t enjoy having to draw that insight to its conclusion, but there was no choice, not really.

As to dialogue contra narrative, I believe dialogue is more difficult to get right – pitch is important.

As book one in the series, was A Rip in the Veil more difficult to write than the others? Did you worry more, or less, about your characters—for example, their well-being, how you responded to them, how readers might perceive them?

I was terrified when I published it – but that was more from my perspective than my characters’ perspective. There’s a famous Swedish author who once wrote a poem along the lines that seeing your book displayed in a bookshop was the equivalent of seeing your heart dangling on a meat-hook.

Oh my gosh, yes.

He definitely had a point…

And yes, of course I worried about my characters, which is why I went on to write a further seven books about them!

What is one of your favorite scenes in A Rip in the Veil?

There are so many, but a particular favourite is that scene in chapter 25 that has remained unchanged since I first wrote it.

A weak December sun filtered through the bare branches of the rowan, long extended fingers of shadow thrown across the faded grass. Their breath came in soft puffs, and Matthew slid to sit closer, pressing his thigh against hers. He could feel her relax, a slow softening of muscles that for weeks had been rigid with fear and grief. He didn’t push, he just sat beside her, every now and then sweeping his thumb in a caressing movement over the back of her hand.

“I can’t stand it,” he finally said in view of her continued silence. “I can’t … I see these pictures in my head of you with him, and I can’t wipe them away, and I want to ... Alex, I’m so sorry!”

“Of me with him?” Her confusion was apparent, and he turned to look at her. Her eyes widened. “Oh my God; you think he raped me?”

“Didn’t he?”

Alex made a slow negating movement with her head, and Matthew’s shoulders dropped several inches.

“He... well, he just lost it, you know? He punched me and hit me, he swore at me, hit me some more, and I begged for him to stop, but he just went on and on about you and Margaret, and how would you like it now, when he did to your wife what you’d done to her, and —” She threw him a look and came to an abrupt stop. “It isn’t your fault.”

“Aye it is, I should have been there to protect you.”

“Well, he made sure you weren’t, didn’t he? And had you come back, what could you have done alone against six men?” She shivered when the sun disappeared behind fast moving clouds. “I don’t think he was fully aware of what he was doing – besides, he was drunk.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“No; it definitely isn’t.” Her hand drifted down to knead at her abdomen. “Our baby.”

Matthew took both her hands in his and knelt before her. “We’ll have other babies, lass.”

“But not like this one,” she replied, tears hanging off her eyelashes.

“No, not like this one.”

“He would have had your eyes,” she breathed.

“She would have had your mouth,” he whispered.

Slowly she toppled towards him, and he released her hands to wrap his arms round her, hold her safe against him, while a flurry of wet snow danced around them.

Oh yes, that passage is so very poignant—and a pivotal moment in their relationship. Alex’s clear communication—though delivered in anger—right before this scene leads to Matthew seeking her out, and them opening up a wound together in order to heal it occurs. In the end there is no easy comfort, and the damage is done to more than their physical selves, but it has made them stronger. Contrasted against that strength is the snow, not just snowflakes but wet snow, which to me speaks also of the fragility of the moment, and in turn the dual nature of life and relationships.

What is your favourite scene, Lisl?

Well, the way the opening was set up absolutely fascinated me, and I’ve read the first few chapters repeatedly, scouring for answers I might have missed—answers to all those But how? questions. I especially appreciated the phone situation; it really brings home a better understanding of the insane speed with which a person, or object in this case, would have to proceed through space in order to reach a different time, and for the changes to occur to it as we see in that segment. I also loved the scene when Alex “chats” with another character who reveals a greater understanding of Alex’s situation than Alex realizes she has.

But I also marvel at certain techniques and their results, and one in particular laid out in this scene absolutely gripped me:

“Yes. The British have a thing about their kings; you’re stuck with them.” She spread the djeens to dry, and wound her shawl round her bare legs before coming over to join him by the fire. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

Now this passage, while not told precisely from Alex’s point of view, nevertheless focuses on her actions, her being, what she is doing. Within all that, however, is this metacognitive reference to an assumption held by Matthew, whose mind has absorbed the label of jeans as djeens, which wouldn’t necessarily be readily apparent to Alex, as he has only verbalised this understanding by repeating the word he thought he heard—which sounds almost identical to what Alex actually said. It is through her we observe Matthew and are drawn closer not only his perceptions of the world, but also how he receives them, his thought processes and how these are informed by his culture and how language is used within it. Alex’s lack of response to his alternate understanding of what she said directly points to how the vehicle by which we receive information affects our understanding of it: she heard him say the word, we also “saw” what he said. How the brain operates fascinates me, and this passage was like a jaunt through some of its passages.

Hey, lady; that was deep stuff. :)  But the djeens was something I did on purpose, precisely to visualise their differences regarding vocabulary and concepts in general. Not so sure I actively was thinking about the metacognitive aspects, though…

Well… (laughs, coughs, licks fingers) If given the opportunity, would Matthew Graham be interested in visiting Alex’s era of origin? Would he enjoy or at least appreciate some of the methods of navigating the world (washing machines, cars, telephones, etc.)? If any other character could be trusted with Alex’s secret, would they be interested in a visit?

Matthew is skeptical to the idea of time travel. Very skeptical, as he considers it borderline black magic. Besides, he’s not sure he’d feel comfortable living in a time as secular as ours – for a man as devout as he is, it is difficult to imagine a day and age where people don’t care about God, don’t even talk about God. But he’d do great driving an Aston Martin – and he’d love it.

What would Alex or Matthew say to us if we met? What would either or both of them want us to know? What would they want to know from or about us?

Mainly, I think they’d be very surprised. Well, not at meeting me, obviously, as we hobnob on a daily basis. There’s very little about me those two don’t know – and vice-versa. But should they meet you, I think Matthew would be intrigued by the concept of a woman who’d been in the military, and his immediate questions would be why would a woman want to be a soldier, and why didn’t someone stop you, seeing as he is of the firm opinion women should be shielded from the horrors of war. So, what would you reply, to explain this to my 17^th century male hunk?

Oh wow. Honestly speaking, I’m not sure I could explain it to Matthew, partly because I can understand some of his objections —some. Perhaps a core motivation for serving really isn’t so different for women as for men: love of country, a free people ruling themselves, as his sister Joan mentions, and the ability to pass on what we’ve worked for (and been given)—all ideals Matthew and I share.

Although smaller in numbers than today, women have throughout history been exposed to the horrors of war, as combatants and not. Yes, as soldiers they face some challenges different to those men face, but this in itself does not mean they cannot contribute to our fighting forces. Some, like a woman who served in a frighteningly perilous position as one of six spies engaged by General Washington, were instrumental in the positive outcome of their countries’ war experiences. Not all women are capable of this or other sorts of military tasks, but this is true of men as well.

I suspect what makes Matthew most squeamish isn’t just being witness to the horrors of the battlefield, for even many men are haunted by what they saw there; Matthew himself was terribly affected. He might think of the one consequence only women can face when abused as POWs, and I admit, there is no easy answer. 

I guess I’ll have to set up a meeting between you and Matthew to further discuss, but from the way he is nodding, he seems to agree with what you’re saying, somewhat ruefully admitting that you’re right, the horrors of war mark a man too – for life.

What was the most difficult part of researching A Rip in the Veil? What was the most rewarding? What did you learn in the course of researching and writing the book?

The religious background fascinated me – not only for 17^th century Scotland, but also for 15^th century Spain. Thing is, I get derailed, so I ended up knowing much more than I needed to know about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and let’s not get me started on the political complexities of the Thirty Years’ War, what with Catholic France bankrolling Protestant Sweden when it went after the (also Catholic) Hapsburg Empire.

Can you share a story about people you met while researching?

I met some very interesting people in Cumnock, who were more amused than awed by the fact that anyone would set a book in their nondescript corner of the world. But the scones were fantastic, and they did point me in the right direction when it came to researching Sandy Peden, a prominent character in the third book of The Graham Saga.

What else would you like to investigate through writing? What is something you could or would never write about? Is there a central message in the book you’d like readers to know about? What cultural values do you think readers could take away from the book—from either time period?

Wow, that was a bombardment of questions! 

Things I would never write about – I can’t answer that, as it depends on what the story requires me to write. Having said that, I’d prefer not to write about gruesome dismemberments and stuff like that, but it is my firm belief that a writer must confront human life in all its glory and sordidness. 

I believe the central message is one of love – and of the importance to adapt to your surroundings rather than yearn for what you can’t have. 

I can’t answer for my readers, but for me personally, writing the books about Alex and Matthew has forced me to confront and explore the very personal issues of faith. After all, Alex is jettisoned into an environment where God is a fact, an undeniable truth, and I think if you live surrounded by people who believe, it rubs off on you – to some extent. Does this qualify as a cultural value, do you think?

Entirely! Your covers are absolutely gorgeous—the font as well as the images completely invite exploration. I remember thinking how appropriate it is that on the cover for A Rip in the Veil Alex has her back to and is walking away from us—for a couple of reasons. Did you have any hand in the cover’s design, either in the actual drawing or conception?

Thank you! I’ve designed all the covers conceptually, that is to say I’ve told marvelous Olly Bennett at MoreVisual what I want, and he has created it for me. I suspect he’s chuckled at some of my sketches, but in general he gets what I want just from my verbal description (phew!). Of course Alex is walking away from us – she is entering a new and unfamiliar world.

Do you believe covers affect the buying process? Do you think that even covers that visualize messages or symbolism within the books can still speak to potential readers given that they haven’t yet experienced those techniques?

Thank you, Lisl! And yes, I believe covers are important. I think they need to be aesthetically pleasing and not be too cluttered. As to symbolism, I fear what is apparent to the writer is not necessarily apparent to the reader – at least not prior to reading the book.

What are your thoughts on the current trend towards selling books wrapped in brown paper bags?—the titles and authors are written on the front, but that’s all anyone sees until they tear the paper off.

Silly. What, some sort of attempt at having people buy a pig in the poke? I buy books, I want to see them, read the blurb, feel the texture and – at times – read the end. (I know, I’m awful like that.)

I want to see them for all the same reasons plus one: to smell them.

Smell them? Is it the type ink that gets to you, or the scent of paper?

(Laughs) Good question—I’m guessing the paper? The scents often remind me of the excitement of receiving our book orders in school, or receiving books as gifts. Believe it or not, one publisher in particular retains that distinct smell I remember from school. Other books just smell like…promise.

(Pats Lisl’s arm) I love that! “Smell like promise.” 

What do you make of the ideal that no literary work is ever completely taken in?—that subsequent to the initial read, cultural and other experiences (including even current events) bringing new understanding or awareness, results in the re-reading of what is actually a completely different book?

I’d say this is a truism. Every reader brings his/her experiences and values to bear when they read a book. A great example is Fifty Shades of Grey, where the literary establishment has scoffed and laughed at this “badly written book” that promotes unhealthy dependency between a young woman and her dominant lover. Except, of course, that they’ve only read the book expecting to be irritated, assuming their preconceived notions will be verified. The over 100 million buyers who’ve devoured the books probably don’t agree – to them, the story of Ana and Christian is one of love and redemption, and most of us are suckers for an HEA (Happily Ever After) story. This doesn’t mean those readers can’t see that the literary quality at times is deficient (it is). It’s just that they don’t care…

Do you get fan mail? What kinds of things do people say or ask?

Presently, the recurring message is “please, please don’t stop writing about Alex and Matthew.” Very flattering – but also a tad stressful. One of the more interesting mails I got was from a woman who was SO mad at Matthew (due to events in later books involving a red bodice) and she just couldn’t understand how Alex could forgive him. “Because she loves him,” I replied, “and because she knows he adores her.” The reader was very satisfied with this reply.

Do you ever highlight in books you read, or make notes in the margins? If you object to the practice, why?

In novels, no. In non-fiction, always. Actually, if I’m reading a novel in let’s say French, I will underline words I need to look up, a habit I’ve picked up from my linguist of a mother, who is as voracious a word collector as I am.

When you attended school, was time travel a popular or at least well-known genre? Did you write stories at that age? Did others see you as a future author?

Did I write stories at that age…Yes, of course I did! Some are very strange, some are very inspired by Lord of the Rings, some are quite good – and none of them will ever escape from the box where I keep them.

Time travel has always been popular, don’t you think? At least conceptually, and I recall enjoying a book called Stig in the Dump about a modern child meeting this person from an ancient, primitive world.

As to me as a future author, I always knew that at some point I would write and publish.

What do you see as the difference(s) between time travel and time slip? Is there really a distinction or do you see the newer term more an evolutionary change, sort of adapting the newer or further developed perceptions and understandings?

Time travel is a conscious act, time slip simply happens to the unfortunate person who gets sucked into the past (or the future). Dr Who, therefore, time travels in his Tardis, while Alex slips into the past.

Ah, of course!

Do you enjoy poetry? If so, who/what are some of your favorite poets/poems?

I am a major fan of poetry, having grown up with a mother who would read out loud to us – in Spanish, Swedish and English. My absolute favourite is actually from a play by Calderón de la Barca – La Vida es Sueño:

¿Qué es la vida? Un frenesí.

¿Qué es la vida? Una ilusión,
una sombra, una ficción,
y el mayor bien es pequeño;
que toda la vida es sueño,

y los sueños, sueños son.

Runner up is that delightful little poem “Glory be to God for dappled things,” by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

It’s interesting: I write prose almost exclusively in English, but my poetry is either in Spanish or Swedish.

What question do you wish someone would ask about your book but hasn’t yet?

Well, sweet pea, after this extensive battery of questions, I can’t come up with a one ;)

(chuckles) I was going to playfully title this “Twenty Questions” but there actually came out to be more!

Thank you so much for joining me here and allowing me to probe into your world! I enjoyed A Rip in the Veil so much and I really appreciate the opportunity for all of us to see into it a little bit more. (reaches for more pie)

Dip your fingers into that!

You can have your cake (or pie) and eat it, too! We've got TWO FREE COPIES of A Rip in the Veil to gift to two lucky winners of our upcoming draw. To enter, simply comment at the novel's review located here or at our dedicated Facebook thread right here!