The Sixpenny Tiger by Jeanette Taylor Ford - a review by Diana Milne.

 The author is generously giving away a traditionally printed copy of the book and if the winner lives in the UK, it will be signed by the author! To be in with a chance of winning, simply comment on the blog (below) or comment on the Review or Review Blog Facebook page. It is worth winning!

If you are not fortunate enough to win it, you can buy it here  The Sixpenny Tiger

About the book:

When Sally Golding achieves her dream job, to work caring for children in a 'home', she becomes deeply involved with the children. One in particular, Davey, touches her heart. The older brother to John, he is often blamed for John's misdeeds by his housemother, Marjorie, who seems to have taken a great dislike to him. Davey's problems become much worse when Marjorie marries his father, Tony Adams and the boys go home to live with them. Marjorie subjects Davey to violent abuse; Davey dreams of finding Sally and her becoming his mother.

But Sally has problems of her own. Now in an abusive marriage, she needs all her strength to cope. And Joe, who is in love with Sally, is struggling to keep his life together having lost her to Evan, her husband.

However, fate has things in store for all of them. Will Davey manage to escape from his personal hell? Will Joe finally achieve his dream to be with Sally? And what of Marjorie - what is it that happened in her life to make her the way she is with Davey?

This story shows the great power of love - and that of forgiveness.



It is always a puzzle to me why Jeanette Taylor Ford's writing is not better known and more widely read. With her brilliantly thought out storylines and believable characters she should be topping the Indie charts every week. This book, The Sixpenny Tiger, is no exception and gripped me from page one, conjuring in me every emotion known to the human psyche. Any book that can raise genuine feeling for a character has to be considered by me to be story telling at it's best.

The story is prefaced by a beautiful and meaningful poem by the author, another discipline in which she excels.

The book reads easily and freely and makes the reader keep the pages turning. Although the style at times seems almost lightweight, this seeming naiveté is deliberately used - the book is in the third person so consequently the simplistic style and language mask, as intended, the horror and fear the boy endured and keeping it as 'his' story. Using her unique style, Taylor Ford vividly describes the pain of a child, Davey, who feels he is to blame for the actions and failings of his or her adults and the words "he felt as if he was dead and nothing mattered" so accurately sum up the utter desolation of a child after abandonment. Unfairly accused of things his younger brother has done and even more unfairly charged by his father of looking after the younger child, a burden with which an older child is often lumbered by a well meaning but misguided adult, Davey suffers silently and copes as best he can.

The description of the back ground life and times of the era, late 1960s and early 1970s, are very well researched, realistically portrayed and accurate forming a reliable backdrop on which we can see the story unfold. Wait till you get to the description of a loaf of bread! The 'golden brown and crispy' top of the cottage loaf will have your mouth watering! I could almost smell it!

Adult emotions and lives are equally as well described and the characters very well portrayed. Without giving too many spoilers, by the end of the book, the reader understands why Marjorie acted the way she did and throughout this charming book, a feeling of hope persists, even in the darkest moments.

I think this quote, near to the end of the book, sums it all up perfectly:

“Well love, you will be with me until you grow up and leave to live a life of your own. But the tiger will remain with me for ever because it will always remind me of you and how I love you and you love me, even when I am very old! That tiger represents how love can help us overcome our problems; we just have to believe.”

What other people said:

By Sue Harris on 21 Sept. 2015. Format: Kindle Edition         

"The Sixpenny Tiger is a real page turner, but be warned, you will need a box of Kleenex at hand.
At the core of the story is the sensitive issue of child abuse, where the main character, young Davey finds himself an innocent victim of a sustained and unjustified campaign of physical abuse.
Jeanette takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, with unexpected twist and turns. Davey remains positive, believing in the love and compassion of the one person in his life who he knows can, and will, help him. A deeply moving read with a highly charged and complex story-line, delivered with skill and empathy.''

About the author:

"Jeanette Taylor-Ford is a retired Teaching Assistant. She grew up in Cromer, Norfolk and moved to Hereford with her parents when she was seventeen. An undiagnosed Coeliac, Jeanette was a delicate child and missed great deal of schooling, but she had a natural ability to write good stories, even at the tender age of nine or ten. When young her ambition was to be a journalist but life took her in another direction and her life’s work has been with children – firstly as a nursery assistant in a children’s home, and later in education. In between she raised her own six children and she now has seven grandchildren. Jeanette took up writing again in 2010; she reasoned that she would need something to do with retirement looming, although as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, she is kept busy. She lives with her husband Tony, a retired teacher and headmaster, in Nottinghamshire, England.

In Jeanette's words: I am a born story teller. From my school days I have loved making up stories. One teacher I had said he always left my work until last to mark because he knew he would get a good read from me after he'd ploughed through all the bad work! I loved doing bedtime stories with my children and, in my last position as a Teaching Assistant, from which I am now retired, my favourite thing was reading to the children when I got the chance, also helping them to make up stories of their own. Those who have read my stories have enjoyed them, so I finally decided to inflict them upon the world in general. Some of them are ghostly tales, combined with loveable characters and interesting situations which make them ghost stories with a difference. However, I also write children's stories and other genres, which are not yet published

Click on this link for Jeanette Taylor Ford's other books please.

You may read my 'Diana Talks' interview with Jeanette Taylor Ford by clicking here: Diana talks to Jeanette Taylor Ford

© Diana Milne, March 2017

Diana talks to Rod Glenn

Rod is a multi talented man. Not only is he a superb actor, he is  one of the geniuses behind Wild Wolf Publishing and is also an established author in his own right (or should that be 'in his own write'???)

It is a pleasure to be able to talk with you Rod...
First things first I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!  What scares you most?  The possibility that there is absolutely nothing after death.  I’m not a religious person, but I desperately hope that there is something after death.

If your latest book 'No Chance In Hell' was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role? Me! I split my time between writing and acting and I’d love to play the action hero lead. Failing that, if Tom Hardy can pull off a Geordie accent I guess he can have the gig.

What made you choose this genre? I don’t specifically choose a genre – I tend to write from a basic idea and the genre and everything else tends to evolve from there.  No Chance In Hell is an action/horror, but my previous novels are thrillers, sci-fi and post-apocalyptic, so I’m not picky!

How do you get ideas for plots and characters?  Sometimes from seeing something or someone in the street, or a basic ‘what if’ question might pop into my head or even from a dream.  Inspiration can come from anywhere.

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!)  you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?  I have an idea for a very different take on the werewolf genre which I’m toying with at the moment. (Rod, if it comes to fruition, may I have the chance to review it for the Review, please?)

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously.  I started writing in primary school and I never stopped. I’ve always been compelled to write. At the same time that I was writing my first childish stories I was also taking part in every school play – I’ve always been compelled to do both.

Marmite? Love it or hate it? I’m weird – I can take it or leave it.  Write into that what you will… (Well, I can write into that that you are weird!!!)

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...??  I prefer silence when writing – I don’t like any distractions.  Other than that, no, writing is a job, as is acting, so they need to be treated as such.  I get up and I write, whether I’m in the mood or not.  You have to get yourself into a routine and put the graft in.  It’s a solitary job, so if you don’t motivate yourself no one else will.  If you use excuses like I’m not in a creative mood or I have writer’s block then writing will only ever be a hobby.  You will never earn a living from it.

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters?  Ha, both.  You have to maintain some perspective or you’ll disappear too far down the rabbit hole. *See below

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?  I’m extremely lucky that I have my two dream jobs – actor and writer. (So are we, your viewers and readers)

Coffee or tea? Red or white?  I always have a cup of strong Yorkshire tea first thing in the morning and then coffee throughout the rest of the day.  Red every time for wine, mainly rioja.

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way?  I usually only start with a basic premise and allow the story and characters to evolve from there.  With my debut novel (The King of America) I started with a question – what if America was ruled by a monarchy?

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?  I like Garamond – feels a little warmer to me than the likes of Time New Roman or Arial. (Yep!)

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be?  It would definitely be top secret government documents on aliens and UFOs.

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!? Characters are always surprising me!  Sometimes one written in as a small insignificant role blossoms into a lead character and visa versa.  Sometimes they die too soon, sometimes they survive when I thought they wouldn’t.  You just have to keep writing and trust in the story.  The hard work begins in the re-drafting stages anyway – that’s where all the re-writes, cuts, changes and additions happen.

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips?  I continually research throughout the writing of a novel, whether it is looking on Google Maps at a specific area or a fact check, research is key to realism and realism is key to making your story believable.  Even the most fantastical story involving magic, dragons, aliens and demons must be fundamentally believable on a base level.  I used to go on research trips, but with so much information available at the click of a mouse it’s rarely necessary these days.  If it is needed though then I have no hesitation.

Fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot?  They do occasionally sneak in, sometimes as a bit of fun for a friend or family member, but often a ‘real’ person might fit the bill better than a complete fabrication, so I might change their name and tweak other physical or personality traits so that I’m the only one who knows who that character is based on.  As writers we probably do this a lot more often than we admit, whether it is just someone we noticed in the coffee shop once or a friend we’ve known since kindergarten.

Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?  Realism is always paramount for me, so I will stick to the facts as much as possible, only veering off if it does not detract from the story’s believability.

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred?  Fact is quite often stranger than fiction, so the line is indeed microscopically thin.

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?  I tend to love all my characters, even the nasty ones, so I do tend to feel their pain.  My antagonists always have some redeemable qualities about them, that grey area that makes them human, no matter what they do.  Likewise with my protagonists – they usually have a darker side.  You cannot have light without dark. 

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?  I read all sorts – Edgar Allan Poe, Terry Pratchett, H P Lovecraft, H G Wells, Christopher Brookmyre, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, J R R Tolkein, Bernard Cornwell, Douglas Adams, Roger Zelazny and many, many more. To be a good writer you have to read a great deal and from different genres and authors.

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?  A stiff one!  Whisky.

Last but not least... favourite author?  It’s almost impossible to chose one, but I would edge towards Edgar Allan Poe.

 *

Rod Glenn was brought up in the north east of England and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with wife, Vanessa. His writing is of a dark nature with darkly humorous undertones. He also an actor, some roles include The Hippopotamus, Wolfblood, Outside, The Fairy Flag, The Hollow Crown and Ripper Street.

Novels:
The King of America
Sinema: The Northumberland Massacre
The King of America: Epic Edition
The Killing Moon
Sinema 2: Sympathy for the Devil
Holiday of the Dead (contributor)
Radgepacket Vol. 1 (contributor)
P.O.W. Wartime Log of F/Sgt T D Glenn (contributor)
Sinema 3: The Troy Consortium
Wild Wolf's Twisted Tails (contributor)
Action: Pulse Pounding Tales Volume 2 (contributor)
The Fortress 

*               

 *From above. On 23rd April, which is St George's day and my birthday (and the birth and death day of some bloke called Shakespeare) my 'Diana talks' is called 'Diana talks to herself...' 
In this fascinating discussion (?) I explore the reasons why I have never written commercially and why what Rod says above is all a part of it.

© Diana Milne January 2017 © Rod Glenn February 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diana talks to Kristie Dean

Hi Kristie, lovely to catch up with you and have a chat...
I have loved all your books but particularly your two Richard III related books...

''Richard III is probably the House of York’s best-known figure, but the other members of the family are just as intriguing as the king who fell on Bosworth Field brings to life the people and their  places in her latest book, On the Trail of the Yorks (with brilliant maps and photographs*)''

What made you choose this genre? I love non-fiction because it allows me to research the history I love and then present it to others. I like explaining what actually happened, although I’ve been toying with the idea of writing fiction as well.

How do you get ideas for plots and characters? I get the ideas for my books from what I love. Both Richard III and his family have always interested me, so they were my focus when I decided I wanted to write a travel history. Actually, the idea of the travel history book came about because I’d always wanted a book to give me locations for my favorite figures from history, especially Richard III.

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!) you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind? I would love to write a thriller. I have had an idea in mind for a while based on an incident that happened to me when I was in college. I’m not sure if I will ever put it on paper, though.

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously. It was a conscious decision. I’ve been writing since 4^th grade (around nine years old) and it’s always been something important for me to do. I can’t stand a blank piece of paper.  I studied journalism in school as an undergraduate prior to earning my master’s in history, so writing non-fiction has been a good fit.  

Marmite? Love it or hate it? I have never been able to bring myself to try it… ((Smile))

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...?? I have to begin the day with coffee and play with my pets for a few moments before I start working. I love to work at my desk, but in all honesty, I am so messy that it’s often covered and I have to write in the family room.

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters? My family is more important, but I do neglect them while writing. It becomes an all-consuming passion. I have started at 7 a.m. and finished at 10 p.m. without noticing. I love what I do!

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job? I would love to be a travel guide and take people to my favorite destinations.

Coffee or tea? Red or white? Coffee and white

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way? For non-fiction I plan it out, but if I find another location or something I need to add through my research, I will add it.

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be? Oh, that’s an easy one for me. Titulus Regius.

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips? For a non-fiction book, meticulous research is necessary.  In addition to primary research for the historic background, I traveled to almost every site I discuss. I liked the chance to get the ‘feel’ of the location.

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure? I read just about anything. This morning I read the back of the Cheerios box. It hadn’t changed since the last time I read it, but it was there and I was bored. Seriously, I will read just about any genre, although I’m not big on fantasy. My preference is either history or thrillers.

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book? White wine. ((I read it at the airport whilst drinking coffee. I can recommend that too!))

Last but not least... favourite author? This is a difficult one for me. I like so many authors, but I do enjoy Susanna Kearsley and Barbara Erskine (Lady of Hay is a favourite!) For non-fiction, there are many authors I admire, so it would take forever to list them all. I do have a book that I’m chomping at the bit to read, which hopefully will be released soon. Sharon Bennett Connolly is doing a book about medieval heroines, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

*

Kristie Dean has an MA in History and now enjoys teaching the subject, following a successful career in public relations. Her particular historic interest is the medieval era, specifically the Plantagenets, the Wars of the Roses and the Tudors.
She has been published in several online magazines and local newspapers, and presented a paper at the International Congress on Medieval Studies. She has also published a series of short guidebooks (less than 20 pages) to help visitors to the UK find great locations

You can follow Kristie on Twitter @kristiedavisdea, or like her Facebook page, The World of Richard III. She also has a blog at KristieDean.com. When not traveling for research, you can find Kristie at home in Tennessee with her husband, three dogs, and two cats.

© Diana Milne January 2017 © Kristie Dean February 2017

* Maps in the book by Lady White Art and Sharon Connelly provided some wonderful photos

Sharon reviews: The Second Blast of the Trumpet by Marie McPherson

Today Sharon reviews The Second Blast of the Trumpet by Marie MacPherson. The author has kindly offered 2 e-book copies as giveaways. To be in with the chance of winning this amazing book, simply leave a comment below, or on our Facebook page. The draw will be made on Wednesday 8th March. Good luck!!!

Freed after a stint in the galleys, the Scottish Reformer John Knox is fired up with his mission as God s messenger to strike at the roots of papistry. Prophet without honor in his own land, he is welcomed as chaplain to Edward VI in England. But by challenging the liturgy of the English Protestant Church, he makes dangerous enemies. With Edward s untimely death and the accession of the Catholic Mary Tudor, Knox is forced to flee her fires of persecution. Despite the ever-present peril of capture, the fiery Scot criss-crosses Europe to ask the leading Reformation scholars his burning question whether it is lawful to depose an ungodly monarch. While no answer is forthcoming, his plea has not gone unheeded. Someone is willing to commit regicide in his name. When the Protestant Elizabeth I succeeds the throne, Knox hopes to return with his young wife and family and resume his mission in England. However, while the charismatic preacher may have attracted a flock of female admirers, his polemical tract, The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, has antagonized Queen Elizabeth. But will Knox be welcome in Scotland where the Lords of the Congregation are plotting revolution in the name of religion? Where his godmother, Elisabeth Hepburn, and the queen regent, Marie de Guise, are striving to stem the rising tide of reform and keep the throne for Mary Queen of Scots? Will the secret assassin achieve his aim? The Second Blast of the Trumpet not only dramatizes the trials and tribulations the Scottish firebrand faces in his fight against idolatry and adultery but peels away the layers of this contradictory character to reveal a friend, husband and lover of women in striking contrast to the Calvinistic, misogynistic caricature of popular imagination.

John Knox

What a fabulous concept for a series of novels! The Second Blast of the Trumpet by Marie MacPherson is the second instalment in her series charting the life of the Scottish preacher - and father of the Scottish Reformation - John Knox. This book is, at the same time, entertaining, informative and thought-provoking. Fast-paced and superbly written, the novel gives us an insight into the life  of the fiery Scottish preacher that few people would know about.

Before reading this novel, the image I had of Knox was an angry, loud man who made Mary, Queen of Scots, cry and did not like women. He was, after all, the man who coined the phrase 'the monstrous regiment of women'. Marie Macpherson brings Knox to life, putting flesh on his bones, so-to-speak, and introducing us to a complex man whose mission in life was to forge a path through the Reformation, and lead Scotland away from Rome.

The First Blast of the Trumpet told us, not only, the story of the early life of Knox, his childhood and education, and his doubts about Catholicism, but it also told the story of the early years of the Reformation in Scotland, of the individual struggles, the heresy charges and burnings. The Second Blast of the Trumpet continues the story, but takes us from Scotland, to England and the court of King Edward VI, and onto Geneva, Switzerland, and the world of John Calvin. Despite all his travel, Knox never forgets his roots, and is constantly looking for ways to get back to Scotland to spearhead the split from Rome.

Statue of John Knox at Haddington

The author's wonderful use of language sets the scene and atmosphere of the book, giving the story an aura of authenticity that stays with the reader throughout. The characters are really well though out, from the resilient Abbess Elizabeth, to Knox's young love, Marjory, each character has their own role to play, whether as a reminder of the past, with Elizabeth, a mentor and father-figure, as in Sir David Lindsay. The love interest of young Marjory is a lovely story, with Knox as full of doubts about his prospective bride's feelings, as he is full of certainty about the Reformation and his role in it. Marjory's mother is another strong character; a woman embracing Protestantism even while her marriage is falling apart, she is a true disciple of Knox, and a demanding one.

...Marjory busied herself with tidying the bedclothes. 'I have to go back to Alnwick now.'

'Oh!' He looked crestfallen. 'So soon/ When will I see you again?'

'I don't know. We're going back to Berwick.'

'Berwick? Why?'

Marjory cast her eyes down. 'My mother is upset because she thinks you're tiring of her. That you're bored with her soul searching and losing patience with her.'

'When it comes to giving an ear to a parishioner's woes, I have the patience of a saint - even though my infirmities make me groan with pain. Doubtless the onset of the sickness made me crabbit. Once I explain that to your mother, she'll understand.'

Marjory's lips twitched slightly. 'My mother's pride has been greatly wounded. She may not forgive so easily.'

'I pray it isn't so. Your mother is that rare being, a seeker after a higher truth. She is the very mirror and glass wherein I behold myself. I pray that nothing can extinguish the affinity of spirit between us.'

Hearing him praise her mother, Marjory felt an unexpected jolt of jealousy.

There is a remarkable and amusing contradiction in the story; while Knox rails against the 'monstrous regiment of women' - which actually targeted the women rulers of the time, Mary Tudor and Marie of Guise - he is surrounded by adoring female supporters in his wife, his wife's mother and the Hickman and Locke families. The tension this causes is palpable, with Knox's female supporters.

As the protagonist, John Knox is a character who dominates the book as he dominated the Scottish Reformation. Although he is dealt with sympathetically, his zeal for reform are by no means diminished. Marie MacPherson manages to demonstrate the origins of this zeal and an empathy for Knox's opposing doubts and certainties; showing how they informed his life and sermons. You find yourself hoping that the preacher will find his way home, before those left in Scotland take the Scottish church in the wrong direction.

There are a number of peripheral characters who make an impression, even though their stories could not be fully explored. We meet the great reformers John Calvin and Myles Coverdale, and the political greats of their time, William Cecil and John Dudley, first Duke of Northumberland. I particularly like Lady Rose Hickman, a well known Protestant in my part of the world, as she lived at Gainsborough Old Hall - just up the road - later in life, and was a remarkable matriarch and supporter of the Reformist faith.
 
 The Second Blast of the Trumpet is a thoughtful, sympathetic portrayal of the reformer's journey through his spiritual and physical life. Steeped in historical authenticity, while being a story that entertains, informs and keeps the reader gripped to the very end, this is a unique story that should not be missed. It is a fabulous retelling of the life and mission of John Knox, and of the birth of the Protestant faith in Europe, making the reader see the fiery preacher in a new light.

About the author: Marie Macpherson (nee Gilroy) developed a love for literature and languages from an early age. She studied French and German at school, followed by Spanish and Italian at university. After gaining an honors degree in Russian and English, she spent a year in Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg). The Second Blast of the Trumpet is the second book in her John Knox trilogy.

Links: The Second Blast of the Trumpet
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter
Knox Robinson Publishing
Goodreads
Youtube trailer

The Reviewer: Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years. She has studied it at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for almost 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines on the Medieval World' which will be published by Amberley in 2017. 

Diana talks to Marius Gabriel

Hi Marius, it is lovely to have a chance to chat with you like this!!
First things first I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!

Q: Is it awfully hard being a dazzling genius?
A: Oh no, I take it in my stride. (Lolololol!!!)

If your latest book TAKE ME TO YOUR HEART AGAIN was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role?
A: Well, there are three lead parts, and I’d have Anna Maxwell Martin, Rachael Stirling and Sophie Rundle!  (Nice one effendi! I can picture them all in the roles)

(Click here to access Diana's review of this splendid book!)



What made you choose this genre?
A: I am very interested in the period (1930s to 1950s)

How do you get ideas for plots and characters?
A: All three characters are modelled on my mum. (That is really interesting! What a wonderfully complex character she must have been!)If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!) you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?
A: Oh, without a doubt I’d write a mind-bending Science Fiction novel. I love SciFi. And no, I don’t have a plot cos I’m rubbish at writing SciFi.
Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously.
A: I was about twelve. I never really wanted to do anything else, though I valiantly had a go at lecturing and Law. (Gosh!!)

Marmite? Love it or hate it?
A: Love Bovril, does that help? (Mmmmmm. Me too!)

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters?
A: I don’t trust you not to betray me. (Wise man!!)


Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?
A: Pope. (What I said before. That!)

Coffee or tea? Red or white?
A: Coffee. Red.

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way?
A: I have not so much a full draft as a skeleton outline. I know what major story points I want to reach, but the episodes in between unfold day by day.

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?
A: Times New Roman. Funnily enough. (Ditto. But I won't tell my alter ego that!)

Imagine that you could get hold of any original source document. What would it be?
A: One of Shakespeare’s original playbooks for a major character like Lear or Othello. (GOSH! Me too!)

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!?
A: Oh, all the time. Writing wouldn’t be much fun if that didn’t happen!

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips?
A: I do a lot of research, in books, on the internet, and on trips. Usually many months.

Fiction authors have to contend with real characters invading our stories. Are there any ‘real’ characters you have been tempted to prematurely kill off or ignore because you just don’t like them or they spoil the plot?
A: Not sure I understand the question. You mean, like Tony Blair? (Good example!!)
Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?
A: I try hard to stick to the facts, but of course I have my own interpretation of the emotions and motivations that lie behind them. I distrust most “official versions.”

Do you find that the lines between fact and fiction sometimes become blurred?
A: No. Yes. (Pardon??)

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?
A: I love them all. (So do your readers)

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?
A: I love almost anything that is well-written and interesting. Exceptions are fantasy novels set in worlds where “anything goes” and self-published poetry. (...and I thought you were going to say Diana's Facebook Statuses. Disappointed face!)
What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?
A: A nice pot of tea (with some custard creams). (OK OK! I know I forgot to send you any custard creams last year. My bad. Sorry!!)

I hope this makes up for my oversight!

Last but not least... favourite author?
A: Too many to pick out one, Diana. Ya oughta know better than that! (It is easier for us. We just say Marius Gabriel!!)

A little about Marius
Author's page and books  - click on the link to follow him!!

Marius Gabriel
 

Whilst looking through Marius's biography I found one of his books I had never read before!! The Original Sin. How have I missed that???

© Diana Milne January 2017 © Marius Gabriel January 2017

Diana talks to Jeanette Taylor Ford

Hi Jeanette, it is lovely to be able to talk to you like this. I have a great love of the Cromer area and loved your paranormal book about the area! First things first I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!

Do you have any literary qualifications or study creative writing?
No, nothing. Because I was a poorly child and missed a lot of schooling, I never had any ‘O’ or ‘A’ Levels and I never studied writing in any way. I couldn’t read until I was eight, but once I could, I never stopped reading and have had 57 years-worth of reading behind me and still reading. I want to say to others, don’t be put off writing if you have no qualifications; if you are meant to write, then you should do so. I do it because I love it and am always so happy to hear that the few readers I have do really enjoy my books.

If your latest book ‘Yr Aberth (The Sacrifice) was adapted into a TV show or a film, who would you like to play the lead role? 
That’s a difficult one because my latest book is the last of a trilogy and the main character, Shelly, is only ten when the first book starts and by this one she is a married woman in her twenties. However, I could see her father, David, being played by Piers Brosnan; he is the all-American, handsome, suave business-man type, and I could see Dame Helen Mirran playing David’s mother, Elise, who is the ultra-sophisticated, elegant owner and fashion designer of the exclusive line of ‘Elise-Louise’. The rather cute Eddie Redmayne would be great as Shelly’s husband, Phillip.

What made you choose this genre? 
It wasn’t a conscious decision really. When I first started writing again, I wrote a few short stories based around actual paranormal incidents that had happened to me over the years. The first book I wrote, ‘The Sixpenny Tiger’, based around my life during my late teens is completely different and very down to earth. Having written a book set in Hereford, a place I love, I wanted to write a story about my birth town, Cromer, and ended up doing a paranormal story involving the long-drowned village of Shipden. From then on, the genre has sort of followed me!

How do you get ideas for plots and characters? 
They usually start from a small idea and then grow in my head until it becomes a whole story. Often, it is a fascination for a building or a place, usually a ruined or very old place where I’ve picked up an atmosphere, or in the case of ‘Bell of Warning’, the tales of the church and the village in the sea that abound in Cromer. For my trilogy, it was the photographs that we took of Gwrych Castle when my family took a walk around it several years ago. I kept getting the photos out and looking at them. Then I discovered the castle had a website with its history and what had happened to let it fall into ruins. ‘The Hireath’ was originally a one-off story but the wicked Bronwen grew on me so much I had to keep her as a character even though she was dead and the one story grew into three!

If, as a one off, (and you could guarantee publication!)  you could write anything you wanted, is there another genre you would love to work with and do you already have a budding plot line in mind?
Publishing is not an issue for me because I self-publish and I can publish what I want. I don’t feel duty-bound to keep to one genre and have recently published a fantasy book for children, which I hope will become at least three. Otherwise, I would love to write a crime novel and yes, I do have a budding plot line for it, in fact I have actually started to write it but I have abandoned it in order to write my present WIP.

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously.
It was something of an accident in a way. I’ve always loved writing but apart from the stories I wrote when I was at school, I had confined my writing to letters or my personal history. As a teaching assistant, I found it quite frustrating trying to get children to write and I would be coming up with wholesale ideas of what they could write and they would reject every idea!  A few years ago, I came into Facebook contact with a man whose sisters I went to school with. (Long story, don’t want to bore you with that one) We started to talk and discovered that we both liked writing. He joined a poetry group and wanted me to join too so I did and I started writing poetry. Then there was a ‘Flash Fiction’ group and I wrote for that. Eventually, I thought I would try my hand at writing a book – after all, ‘they’ say that everyone has a book inside them. I wrote it haphazardly, drawing on my experiences working in a children’s home in the late sixties and it turned out well. I was bereft when I finished that book as I had spent so much time with my characters.  I thought that was it as I had no more ideas but then the ideas started to flow; I was bitten by the writing bug and now I can’t stop! I wrote the first book in 2010 so I was 59.

Marmite? Love it or hate it?
I adore Marmite! When my sister was diagnosed Coeliac, back in the 1960s, dad used to make her bread every week. I use the term ‘bread’ loosely, because it wasn’t like any bread I know! Butter was completely wrong on it but Marmite worked really well. I liked the bread and was allowed to have a slice as a treat! I have trained all my family to love Marmite. Since then, Marmite has helped me through all versions of gluten-free bread down the years! (I am also Coeliac)

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...?? 
No rituals, I’m afraid, sorry. However, I like to have some background noise, usually the television, and a bag of large Cadbury’s buttons to hand if possible. They have to be Cadburys and large because, for some reason, the small buttons make me ill.

I promise I won’t tell them the answer to this, but when you are writing, who is more important, your family or your characters?
Hmm, difficult one! I’m lucky because I’m retired and only live with my husband, I have no children at home to look after. However, during family times I just about manage, although my characters never leave me and while I am away from my computer, they are still weaving their story in my head so I don’t worry, I just get it down when I’m able. However, when I’m at a crucial stage in a book my poor husband does rather take second place.

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?
Believe it or not, I would have liked to be in entertainment, either musical (I used to sing well and I play the piano, and guitar, but not well now) or an actress in comedy or character; I love interacting with an audience. Many of my family are very entertaining; we have a hilarious time when we get together.

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way?
I often just start knowing how the story will begin and end, with an idea of what the main steps will be. The rest just happens along the way. I do keep a list of my characters in an exercise book and in the case of The Castell Glas Trilogy, I kept a timeline because the three books covered about twenty five years, all told.

Have any of your characters ever shocked you and gone off on their own adventure leaving you scratching your head??? If so how did you cope with that!?
Not really, although I admit I was surprised when Sean turned up again in book 3 and became key to helping the family out of a tricky problem when he’d helped to cause trouble in book 2.

How much research do you do and do you ever go on research trips?
Obviously, because I don’t write historical fiction, I don’t do all that much research. However, I do research when needed. Strangely, I did more research for my shortest book, ‘Bell of Warning’ than for any of the others. I actually did go to Cromer to look at certain places, check up on the position of Shipden and I talked to local people who had dived down there. I also learned about the nature of subsidence in the area and how to train to do a deep-sea dive. For this latest book I needed to know about the earthquake situation in Peru but of course I did that on the internet.
 
Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?
This is not usually applicable for my books but in Bell of Warning, I do say about the differences in my author’s notes at the beginning. In ‘Yr Aberth’, there wasn’t actually an earthquake in Peru in the year that Phillip was there but I decided to ignore it – the story is completely fiction anyway.

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?
I like all my characters, even the bad ones. However, I did rather love Geraint, Shelly’s grandfather and also Tom, an American Indian, who was supposed to have a cameo role but ultimately walked into a more important one because of the love he had for Shelly’s mother. I wished I could have had a man like him. It always surprises me when a reader says how much they hate Bronwen, or Marjorie,in ‘Sixpenny Tiger’, or that they fell in love with Danny, in Rosa, for instance, but I’m gratified too because it means my characters seem real.

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?
I love reading anything that’s a bit mysterious and captures my imagination, such as The Labyrinth and Sanctus but I also enjoy light crime or romances but don’t care for the sickly, Barbara Cartland sort of stuff. I like reading about ordinary people; not all men are handsome, sardonic and mysterious! I also love to read Barbara Erskine’s books. I know that some historical fiction writers don’t care for her writings but I have learned quite a bit of history from her books and I like that there’s always a sort of paranormal slant to them; although I like paranormal (and indeed write it) I don’t go for the scary, in-your-face, keep-you-awake-at-night horror –type paranormal. I prefer subtle chills.

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?
A nice, creamy hot chocolate.

Last but not least... favourite author?
I don’t really have one favourite; I think it limits too much. As I said, I like Barbara Erskine, Kate Mosse, Simon Toyne, Tolkien, Santa Montifiore, Louise Marley, Tricia Ashley and of course, Robert Southworth, Paula Lofting and Seumas Gallacher. In the past I’ve liked Catharine Cookson, Anne McCaffrey, Nora Lofts and many others. I just love books!

About Jeanette: I am a born story teller. From my school days I have loved making up stories. One teacher I had said he always left my work until last to mark because he knew he would get a good read from me after he'd ploughed through all the bad work! I loved doing bedtime stories with my children and, in my last position as a Teaching Assistant, from which I am now retired, my favourite thing was reading to the children when I got the chance, also helping them to make up stories of their own. Those who have read my stories have enjoyed them, so I finally decided to inflict them upon the world in general. Some of them are ghostly tales, combined with loveable characters and interesting situations which make them ghost stories with a difference. However, I also write children's stories and other genres, which are not yet published.

Because of ill health, I was not particularly well educated. I do not have a degree of any sort, nor have I attended any creative writing classes. My retirement has given me the opportunity to indulge my love of writing and I ask for no more than to give enjoyment to my readers. I am married to Tony, a retired teacher, and we have six children and seven grandchildren. We live near Nottingham, England.                


© Diana Milne January 2017 © Jeanette Taylor Ford, January 2017

Richard reviews Mariah's Song, by Barbara Emanuelson

The author of this book has kindly offered one copy of ‘Mariah's Song’. To be in with a chance to win, just leave a comment below or on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/thereviewgroup/posts/1676615552367792).

The draw will be announced about a week after this post.

Mariah's Song, by Barbara Emanuelson, is primarily intended as a YA book, but can easily be enjoyed by a much wider age range. It is rooted in a place and period of American history about which I knew almost nothing - a fishing village in mid 19th century coastal New England - but this underpinning is done so thoroughly that I soon felt at home. But the history, however authentic, is only the starting point for this lovely tale.

I'm a sucker for Selkie stories, which traditionally come from what we think of as Celtic lands, chiefly Scotland and Ireland. It seemed altogether plausible to me that similar themes might easily arise in the New England fishing communities we read about here. After all, the seal colonies are much the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

It was there that the seals would come. They were there that day, and were a comforting, familiar sight to my eyes... One in particular got my attention. It was a cow. Her head was raised higher than the rest, and she stared at me through the throng. She had beautiful dark eyes that seemed to call me, even though she made no sound.

The story, then, bridges historical fiction and fantasy, and carries the reader along with it. The main character, Mariah, faces difficulties in her community, and has to exercise the ordinary kind of courage needed for navigating through life. There are all kinds of choices to be made, both within her family and also as her romantic life begins to blossom. Such choices are not easy, nor does Mariah always choose rightly.

Monomoy Point Lighthouse, c.1865 (Wiki)

Circumstances have forced maturity on her earlier than we would consider normal today, but which has been the case for many young women throughout history. Surrounded as she is by kindness and cruelty, loyalty and prejudice, she has to choose which to imitate and fashion in her own life, and which to reject. The unfolding events - some of which are acutely painful - challenge her assumptions about life and her future, and draw out from her a growing sensitivity of soul.

But Mariah's life is lived in the liminal zone between two worlds - that of human society and that of the sea. Identifying and choosing the heritage site wants is not an easy task. She is essentially an amphibian, drawn towards two very different futures. On the one hand her life is very ordinary and constrained, but on the other it is full of mystery, enjoying a magical communion with the ocean. She is surrounded by help and support from both sides, but in the end has to make her own decisions.

Seal - Eastern Isles - Scilly

We lifted the nets, one at a time, with me standing in the middle to assist. We heaved as we threw the teeming nets on board. The cod wriggled and jumped, gasping for air, dancing until they moved no more. Soon, the boat was as still as our catch... It took us a few hours to get back to the wharf... Other fishermen were in, some before and some after us... None of them had a catch like ours.

I really enjoyed this book, as much for the immersion in period American life as for the fantasy elements. Mariah becomes a vivid, intensely credible person, and it is easy to prolong the fantasy and imagine her descendants still roaming the Atlantic seaboard. Mariah's Song comes highly recommended by me.


About the author:

Barbara Emanuelson

Barbara Emanuelson  is a retired educator and award winning author of fiction and folklore fantasy. In addition to MARIAH'S SONG, she is the author of the historical fiction  novel, THROUGH TEMPEST FORGED and two short ghost stories, "Blue Like the Water" (TALES FROM THE WASATCH AND BEYOND) and  "The Unveiled Bride" (TALES FROM OGDEN CANYON). As well as writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, walking, and playing the piano. She is the mother of three wonderful daughters. Barbara currently resides in North Carolina with her beloved husband, Reverend Father Jon and two cats, Marzipan and Chimene. The Mariah's Song Facebook page may be found at https://www.facebook.com/Mariahs-Song-1504253213233652

About the reviewer:
Richard Abbott lives in London, England. He writes science fiction about our solar system in the fairly near future, and also historical fiction set in the ancient Middle East - Egypt, Syria, Canaan and Israel.

When not writing words or computer code, he enjoys spending time with family, walking, and wildlife, ideally combining all three pursuits in the English Lake District. He is the author of In a Milk and Honeyed Land, Scenes From a Life, The Flame Before Us,Far from the Spaceports- and most recently Timing. He can be found at his website or blog, on Google+, Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.