Kate Lord Brown

Thank you

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 28 May 2026 18:43:27 +0000

Hello - how are you all? As well as celebrating the launch of The Silver Thread this summer, it's also the fifteenth anniversary of my first novel coming out. Hard to believe that The Beauty Chorus has been around that long - and by coincidence I met the grandson of Sir Gerard d'Erlanger this week, a legendary figure from the Air Transport Auxiliary.

To celebrate the first five books, they've been reissued in summery jackets and are now available again in ebook and PB.

As a small thank you for all your support over the years, each of them will be free for a limited time over the next few weeks. Do download your ebook here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B088Y8VPFJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3H0XO81C93IOE&psc=1 and share with any historical fiction fans.

First up is Silent Music - is it ever too late for happily ever after?

Happy reading x

New Interview - Best Book Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Sun, 24 May 2026 15:14:08 +0000

In Conversation with the Authors Lounge

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 21 May 2026 16:42:26 +0000

THE SILVER THREAD

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Fri, 15 May 2026 14:44:45 +0000

Hello - how are you all?

I'm so looking forward to sharing The Silver Thread with you. Publication day is next week - 21st May 2026. It's a story I loved researching, one which will sweep you away to nineteenth century London and the birth of Liberty, to Belle Epoque Paris and Japan.

It's a story full of all I love - art, fashion, design, travel and a host of characters I hope you will enjoy, including cameos from real life artists and writers like Oscar Wilde and the Impressionists.

You can preorder from all good bookshops, and online. If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, there's a chance to win a signed author copy at the moment, and some beautiful Monet themed gifts to tie in with the story - enter now!

Thank you for your support - early reviews and preorders make such a huge difference. If you'd like a signed bookplate posting to you, just let me know!

Happy reading.

Forthwrite

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:50:00 +0000

How are you all? Today is VJ Day, and a great time to be talking to Forthwrite about the women who served in WW2, and the little known women's histories which inspired my work. Many people all over the world are thinking of relatives who perhaps they were never lucky enough to meet, but whose service and sacrifice brought peace. In a world increasingly blighted by discord and conflict, it is more important than ever to remember them.

While I was going through the boxes of family photos for my cousin last month, I discovered that two of my relatives who served in WW2 were in Egypt at exactly the time of The Golden Hour. I know that one of these handsome fellows was later a POW. If you haven't read, or seen Flanagan's 'The Narrow Road ...' highly recommended - harrowing and beautiful.

Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who has been in touch about The Golden Hour. It is so wonderful hearing from people - everything from 'I can't believe you just made me cry in the middle of a flight' to 'I want to be an archaeologist'! These are the next events - it would be great to see you in Hampshire or Somerset.

I am really sorry, (so sorry), that you are still having difficulty getting hold of the paperback. It is unavailable in all good bookshops, as they say.

Yes, really. The Bookseller described it as a 'summer of discontent', where 'big books sink without trace' - an 'existential threat' with 'potential career ruining impact.' Deep joy.

Well, not my girls and not on my watch.

I imagine something like the huge warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, with my books in there somewhere. A friend said the other day, can't we just go in and get them?

If you can't get the paperback, do check out Simon & Schuster's author page, where there are links to Bookshop.org and you can even choose to get a free ebook for the weekend (love it if you chose The Golden Hour).

Or if you feel like listening in to Forthwrite where we chat about writing, history, inspiration and resilience, you can listen in on Spotify here, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Happy listening x

The Golden Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:41:00 +0000

Hello - how are you all? It's publication day! I'm so delighted to finally be able to introduce you to The Golden Hour. This is a book close to my heart, inspired by all the years I've lived and worked in the Middle East.

Set in 30s Cairo and 70s 'Paris of the East' Beirut, you'll find intrepid women archaeologists, bohemian expats, dazzling cabarets and desert adventure, plus sweeping romance. I have been so touched by the advance quotes from several of my favourite writers:

Last night we held a wonderful launch at Nomad Books in London, and celebrated with family and friends. Nomad was my 'local' where I began writing with a women's group which met in the basement travel section once a week back in the 90s. It felt like coming home last night, and I'm really grateful to Harriet and her team at the bookstore, and to Simon & Schuster for their generosity.

As I said last night, though there's one name on the book, there is a whole team behind it. I feel very lucky to have a great editor and agent, and a whole host of talented proof, copy editors, publicists, designers (did I mention the gorgeous foil glimmering on the hard back cover?). It feels great to be back, and this is just the beginning ...

If the book intrigues you, do check out their pages. Nomad have a few signed copies, which you can order here.

Happy reading x

THE GOLDEN HOUR

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:35:00 +0000

Hello!

How are you all? It's autumn here on Exmoor, and the huge old gingko tree I can see from the library window is shedding its golden leaves. Feels like the perfect time to light the fire and settle down with a book to carry you away to warmer climes. I'm delighted to say:

Welcome to THE GOLDEN HOUR

This is a book close to my heart, which draws on my lifelong love of all things Ancient Egyptian, and my years living and working in the Middle East. I hope you'll love it. Even better, you can download your complimentary proof on Netgalley now!

From the publisher:

"The Golden Hour is an epic dual timeline story which interweaves glory-seeking desert archaeologists, priceless treasures, Nefertiti’s tomb and the decadent cabarets of WW2 Cairo with restless expat lives in bohemian Beirut.

Archaeologist Lucie Fitzgerald's mother is dying – she's also been lying. As her home, the 'Paris of the East', Beirut, teeters on the brink of war in the ‘70s, Polly has one last story to tell from her deathbed. It’s the story of her childhood best friend Juno and their life in 30s Cairo. Lucie travels home to be with her dying mother and discovers the truth about her family, Juno's work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all - Nefertiti's. From the cities to the deserts, this transporting and moving story of a lost generation transformed by war is a study of great love and sacrifice in all its forms.

The Golden Hour is the perfect novel for fans of Santa Montefiore, Lucinda Riley and Victoria Hislop."

Wonderfully escapist with beautifully drawn characters, stunning locations and an unashamedly romantic heart, The Golden Hour is a captivating story of female friendship, devastating tragedy and a long-buried secret coming into the light. If you love books by Dinah Jefferies or Santa Montefiore, you’ll adore Kate Lord Brown's The Golden Hour'

– Hannah Richell

'The Golden Hour is an exquisite story of love and the enduring power of friendship. Kate Lord Brown’s writing is so evocative and immersive that I felt transported to faraway shores and stood beside her characters sharing their experiences rather than simply reading about them. The Golden Hour is pure gold'

– Ruth Hogan

If you'd prefer to preorder a book-book (technical term), you can via your local bookstore and online:

AMAZON

HIVE (Support your local bookshop)

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (April 10, 2025)
Length: 448 pages
ISBN13: 9781398534780

credit: Lucy Williams

I've loved writing this book, and the research was out of this world, talking to everyone from Egyptologists and expats to experts on Arabian horses. A finished novel is - as ever - a team effort, and I'm so grateful for the people who have brought this story to life, especially my agent, editor and everyone at Simon & Schuster.

The fabulous cover really captures the feel of the story, and I'm thrilled to reveal it to you today. I've always felt when a book goes out into the world, it becomes the reader's. I hope you'll download a copy, and would love to hear what you think.

Happy reading - Kate x

Write, Read, Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 17:45:00 +0000

How are you all? I'm just back from a retreat at Moniack Mhor writers' centre near Inverness in the far north of Scotland, with the MA/PhD group of friends I've been writing with for over fifteen years. Coming at the end of a long period of research and work on the new novel, it was perfect timing.

The sun shone all week for us - imagine dazzling blue skies and bright yellow, coconut-scented gorse. We worked, we hiked, we swam in the (rather bracing), loch. We talked late into the night. We laughed - a lot. It's a great gift to have a group of friends you trust implicitly, and there's nowhere I'd rather have given the first reading of 'The Golden Hour.'

The new book is an epic twin-timeline story which interweaves the desert explorers, priceless treasures and decadent cabarets of WW2 Cairo with the restless hearts of expat lives in bohemian 70s Beirut. Archaeologist Lucie's mother is dying - she's also been lying. As her home, the 'Paris of the East', Beirut, teeters on the brink of war, Polly has one last story to tell, of her best friend Juno and their life in 30s Cairo. Lucie must discover the truth about Juno's work and their shared search for the greatest undiscovered tomb of all - Nefertiti's.

I've loved writing it, going back to books on Egyptology I've had since school. Now, all the research is packed away and the final polish of the manuscript is almost done. I can't wait to introduce you to Lucie, Polly and Juno.

On the last morning at Moniack, I read this in a letter from a HD, a poet, to her lover: 'Build our house upon a rock. Your rock (as mine) is creating and imaginative work ... don't let the outside world hurt you.' It's good advice. Carve out a place for your writing. Find a group of friends to write with. Set your work on strong foundations.

And if you get the chance to visit Moniack, go.

Happy writing.

www.moniackmhor.org.uk

The House of Dreams - Children In Need 2022

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:28:00 +0000

New Chapter

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 14:29:00 +0000

How are you all? First day home here after a summer travelling, and the grass is long, the figs are falling from the tree, and even the cat is pleased to see us. One - just one - of the many sunflower seeds I planted has bloomed in the garden (the puppy treats the border seedlings as an all-you-can-eat salad bar), but it was a cheery welcome at first light this morning. If not a 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' yet, the calendar is turning and there is a new pencil case feel in the air.

For the first time since 'all this' *gestures broadly at the world, the pandemic, general madness*, this summer we travelled to our other home, the Middle East. It was nostalgic and extraordinary to see how much had changed in three years - dust track roads where I off-roaded every day in wild traffic on the school run are now seven lane highways, there's a spanking new metro and so many buildings have gone up it's difficult placing yourself. But the things that I loved - having the family together for a while, swimming at sunset, the smell of frangipani on a hot wind - those things haven't changed. The expat life isn't for all - particularly when it means spending so much time apart, but I hope this is just the beginning of more travels and research trips planned.

When you travel, you leave a piece of your heart behind, and that is a good thing because many places feel like home wherever you go. For the last year I've been spending more time in Scotland, and we flew back from Edinburgh last night. The Lord/McCranor side of my family is Scottish, and it goes all the way back to a 9th century warlord. That side of the family is fiercely proud of its roots - a Canadian relative, author and playwright Nancy Wallace Henderson, wrote about how the Scots helped build America. My grandfather Hugh would recite reams of Burns, (and gave me a copy of his poems for my 18th).

I think they would have been happy to know I celebrated some good news this weekend at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I've signed with a wonderful new agent, Lisa Highton, at Jenny Brown Associates. Most recently, Lisa was Publisher of Two Roads, an imprint of John Murray Press/Hachette where she published authors including Kirsty Wark, Monty Don, Guinevere Glasfurd, Janet Ellis, Sarah Haywood, Susan Calman and Wendy Cope. Over a long career in publishing both in the UK and Australia where she was publishing director of Doubleday, Harper Collins and then Hodder, Lisa has published many bestsellers. JBA is celebrating twenty years as Scotland's leading literary agency, and I'm really excited about the next chapter working with them.

Back home, there are notes piled up on the table, and a new blank three act structure pasted up on the library wall. “I want to kick up my heels and be off," as Virginia Woolf wrote. "I want to embody all those innumerable little ideas & tiny stories which flash into my mind at all seasons. I think it will be great fun to write."

I am so grateful to everyone who has helped and encouraged me in my writing career so far. I have been really lucky to work with brilliant editors, publicists, publishers, agents and fellow writers. Now it's a new season, new book, new chapter.

Onwards.

Guest: Kate Forsyth - Discovering Crete

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 23:30:00 +0000

I have spent the last few years researching and writing a novel set in Crete during the Second World War, which meant I was lucky enough to be able to justify the long journey from the very big island of Australia to this much smaller island in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea.

We fly into Chania from Athens, and pick up a hire car at the airport. It only takes us 20

minutes to drive to the city, and twice as long to find a car park near the old Venetian harbour.

It’s worth the hassle. We buy gelato and walk along the stone harbour front. On one side is

the dome of an old Turkish mosque and the arched shipyards where the Venetians once

repaired their galleys, on the other side a square battlemented fortress and a pretty little

lighthouse. Behind is a maze of crooked, cobbled streets, leading into an old walled town.

Many of the houses are painted the same colours as our gelatos. We eat at a waterfront café

and then, while my family relaxes with another gelato, I go to the Maritime Museum which is

housed in the atmospheric Firka Fortress which has a World War II exhibition I want to see.

Crete is the birthplace of Zeus and the cradle of European civilization. Humans have lived on its shores for about 130,000 years, with waves of invaders over the years including the Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottomans.

The Nazi invasion of May 1941 and the ensuing four years of German occupation are raw in

the Cretan memory. Farmers still plough up shells, and houses still bear the marks of

machine-gun bullets. Waiters ask us where we are from. When we say ‘Australia’ their eyes

light up. They all have a story of an Australian soldier shielding a child or hiding in a cellar.

They all have stories of Nazi atrocities. They don’t know that I am writing a novel about the

Crete during the war. When I tell them, they are exuberantly pleased. ‘Sometimes it feels as if

our war has been forgotten by the rest of the world’, they tell me. Even though Crete was the

first place that the Germans faced stout civilian opposition and the first time they suffered

significant German losses. Nearly four thousand Nazis died in the first three days. By the end

of the bitter and bloody 11-day battle, they had lost 7,000 men, over a third of their force.

From Chania we travel to Rethymnon, a beautiful little town of ancient churches and

mosques and narrow cobbled alleyways filled with shops and restaurants and tall, narrow

houses with doorknockers shaped like a woman’s hand. From here we will explore as much

of the island as we can.

Crete is dissected neatly in two by a series of towering mountains that remain snowy even in

summer. The northern half of the island faces Europe, and features wide sandy beaches, olive

groves, and the winding trellises of small vineyards. Fruit trees blossom profusely on the high

fertile plateaus, and every village has a stone church with a quaint belltower and old men

playing backgammon under the pollarded mulberry trees of the taverna.

The southern half of the island faces North Africa, and so is blasted by the hot red winds

from the desert. The mountains plunge straight down into the water, and every road is

narrow, winding and steep. Villages are tiny and far spaced, and the landscape so bare and

stony it is lunar. It is not a place to blow a tyre.

As we slowly navigate the hairpin-turns of the mountain road, which hugs the edge of a

plunging precipice, I experience vertigo for the first time in my life. Tiny roadside shrines at

every switchback only enhance the sense of danger. I wind down the window, and breathe

deeply of the crisp air, scented with the wild thyme that clings in every crack. When we stop

at a lookout, the only sound is the wind and the distant ting of a goat’s bell. Overhead I see a

griffon vulture soaring through the vast blue sky, its wings wider than a man is tall. This is a

wild, remote, ancient landscape, a place where it is easy to imagine gods and heroes once

lived.

We spend most of the day exploring the south coast, site of many a daring landing by Allied

undercover spies during the long occupation. We hike down steep rocky tracks to discover

tiny, deserted beaches where the water is so clear, you can see the shadows of birds flickering

across the sand fathoms below. We find a little taverna with views to the sea, and eat lamb

roasted with lemon and drizzled with tzatziki and – as always – a decanter of tsikoudia, the

clear, heady pomace brandy tourists call raki, even though it is nothing like the aniseed-

tasting Turkish drink.

The next day we go to the Palace of Knossos, near Heraklion. This is the key setting for my

novel The Crimson Thread, which is a 20 th century reimagining of the famous Minotaur in the Labyrinth myth which originated here. It is the earliest known Western palace complex, built 4,000 years ago, with high-rise buildings decorated with lively frescoes, a theatre for an

audience numbering in the hundreds, and flushing toilets. It was destroyed around 1450 BCE

by an earthquake thought to have caused by a volcanic eruption of the island of Santorini,

which lies to the north. For thousands of years it lay buried and forgotten, till it was

rediscovered in the early 1900s by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. He built a

house on a hill overlooking the palace ruins and named it the Villa Ariadne, after the mistress

of the labyrinth who gave Theseus a spool of red thread so that he could find his way free of

the labyrinth after killing the minotaur. After the Nazi invasion of May 1941, the villa

became the headquarters of the German divisional commander. When Sir Arthur heard the

news, he suffered a heart attack and died a few weeks later.

Sir Arthur controversially rebuilt many of the palace buildings, using modern materials such

as steel and concrete, a move which horrifies modern archaeologists but does help tourists

like me imagine what the ancient city may have looked like. The lower chambers, with its

vivid frescoes, stone bath and alabaster throne, are particularly evocative.

In Crete, the mythological past is ever-present. It is seen in the mountain behind Knossos

where Zeus is said to be sleeping, and in the labyrinthine ruins of the ancient palace with its

broken frescoes of bull-leapers and dancers, and in the fascinating figurines of goddesses

with snakes writhing up their arms. My novel The Crimson Thread takes this mythological

past and weaves it through a story of courage, heroism, and love set during the desperate days

of the German invasion and occupation of 1941-1945.

Dr Kate Forsyth is the bestselling and award-winning author of The Crimson Thread, a

reimagining of ‘The Minotaur in the Labyrinth’ myth set in Crete during the Nazi invasion

and occupation of World War II. Other novels include Beauty in Thorns, a reimagining of

‘Sleeping Beauty’ told in the voices of four women of the Pre-Raphaelite circle of artists and

poets; The Wild Girl, the story of the forbidden romance behind the Grimm brothers’ fairy

tales which was named Most Memorable Love Story of 2013; and Bitter Greens, a retelling

of ‘Rapunzel’ which won the 2015 American Library Association award for Best Historical

Fiction.

You can find out more about Kate's work at www.kateforsyth.com.au and The Crimson Thread is available from Amazon, Blackwell's and all good bookstores.

The Road Home

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Sun, 01 May 2022 13:27:00 +0000

How are you all? It's May Day Bank Holiday here in the UK, and joyous to be out in the sun with the dogs, planting in the garden and hiking in the woods. For a whole host of reasons it's been a long, long winter for many and I'm so glad to be thinking about summer, aren't you?

Great to see the brand new Norwegian audiobooks from Strawberry Publishing this week. I loved my trip to Oslo, (and it's the first time anyone rolled out a red carpet for me). The new books have been read wonderfully by actress Sibeth Hoff, and I hope you all enjoy them in Norway.

Our thoughts are very much in Europe at the moment, and our hearts with the people of Ukraine. It's hard to process that there is war in Europe again. Many of my books were inspired by the stories of my grandparents and great aunt, by their bravery fighting with the Resistance in Holland. 'The Perfume Garden' (Parfymehagen, at the Oslo launch above), is all about love - particularly maternal love, and the bravery it inspires.

Closer to home, maternal love has been very much on my mind. I lost my beloved Mum, very suddenly, at Christmas. I had spoken to her that morning and she was looking forward to staying with us on Exmoor. To lose a parent at any time is heart-breaking. To lose them out of the blue, at Christmas, is devastating. This is why the winter has been long, and quiet, hard to focus on anything. I am so grateful for the friends and family who gathered round and carried me through. It's comforting that Mum is now at rest in the remote church where she played the organ every Sunday, and my Dad restored the coat of arms. Growing up, I sat beneath this little medieval mermaid every service. Symbol of the sacred feminine, wisdom, insight - and wantonness (the flowing hair, the comb). Enough to spark any child's imagination.

It's been a time of endless 'sadmin' as I dubbed it - sorting not only Mum's but my grandmother's possessions, a whole lifetime to work through. While it's felt like there's been little time or heart space for new creative work, a huge joy was learning that 'The Perfume Garden' inspired choreographer and dancer Deborah Greer to create a ballet for Manassas Ballet Theatre. Inspired by Rosa's story, 'A Letter to Maria' can be streamed here. I was lucky enough to sit in on rehearsals, Max Headroom style:

It's one of the most remarkable things to happen in my career, and absolutely in the spirit of 'The Gift' an amazing book Margaret Atwood recommended in her Masterclass. This - this more than reviews and prizes and all the things you can't control, is why you write - to hopefully touch someone's heart and pass along the spirit of creativity.

Which is why it was amazing to stay at Agatha Christie's house for a few nights. Around the time I was gazing up at that mermaid every Sunday, I was devouring every Christie I could get my hands on. In the midst of grieving it was an unforgettable experience to stay out of season at Greenway, her house high above the estuary, to walk the grounds, to sit in her rooms, and read, and dream, and write. You can read about it here.

Everything has its season. In a world gone mad, it feels like stories of hope and love and resilience are needed more than ever. Write on.

Children In Read 2021

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 15:55:00 +0000

How are you all? It's feeling cold and autumnal up on Exmoor, with dark misty mornings and nights reading by the fire with the dogs. Autumn in the UK always means Children In Need - each year funds are raised for the most vulnerable people, and this year I'm glad to support the Authors' and Illustrators' Auction, Children In Read, again.

If you click here you can see hundreds of lots from your favourite writers, including lot 153 - I'll send two signed copies of the new books published this year anywhere in the world.

Happy bidding - it's all for a great cause.

Libraries Unlimited Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 11:01:00 +0000

Thank you to Karen Huxtable and Libraries Unlimited for a great evening:

In Conversation

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:55:00 +0000

How are you all? We are enjoying an Indian Summer in the UK, and although it's now dark when I get up with the dogs first thing, it's still very much 'Strawberries for Breakfast' to steal a section heading from the new book. The figs are still ripening on the tree in the garden, and I'm not quite ready yet to unpack the winter clothes. I love all the things of autumn - crisp, misty mornings, stacking firewood ready, slow-cooking soups and stews. But I'm not ready to say goodbye to the sun, yet.

Isn't it wonderful to be getting back to some kind of normal with concerts and events? I saw a marvellous Brahms recital by Lawrence Power at the weekend with friends of thirty years, and it was amazing to hear live music with people you love - joyous and life-affirming. The Two Moors festival is rather like the organisation I worked for straight out of college, bringing world class events to small rural venues. Incredible to see a musician who has performed to packed concert halls across the world in our local church.

I also have an event coming up next week, and it would be wonderful if you'd join us - I'll be in conversation with my home city library, Exeter UK, at 7pm on Monday 18th October on Facebook Live. Here's the link. We'll be talking about the latest book, food, Elizabeth David, and historical fiction. It was a lot of fun researching and writing this story, and you'll get a flavour of it from this. I'll also share some of the books I've read recently and loved. Hope to see you there!

Write Champagne

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 14:40:00 +0000

How are you all? A while back, I read an article which said 'it's impossible to write champagne in a pandemic.' Yes - I thought, scribbling it into my notebook - that's it exactly. But what do you think? If you've read these posts for a while, you'll know how much I admire Nora Ephron. I regularly pick up her essays when in need of - well, a pick me up, a literary glass of champagne. She is the wisecracking aunt we all wish we had. Re-reading 'I Feel Bad About My Neck' a couple of months ago, I realised much of it could be applied to difficult novels, too:

'Short of surgery (editing) there's not a damn thing you can do about a neck (WIP).'

I've had a draft of this post on file for months, working title: I Feel Bad About My WIP.

This is my difficult ninth novel. There, I said it. I've always ascribed to 'never complain, never explain,' but - ohmygoodness - these last couple of years have been tough writing, haven't they? Yes, I know its a pandemic, but still. The previous eight books, (six published, two in a bottom drawer), were a relative breeze. I felt so bad about my WIP after a handful of 'love it but ...' rejections last summer I went right back to the first novel I ever wrote and entered it for the Elizabeth Goudge trophy and it won a highly commended. ('See, you can write ...' that defiant inner voice said).

'Our faces are lies, and our necks tell the truth,' Nora said.

So in spite of a new book in Germany a few months ago, and two in the UK recently, and regular journalism, and keeping on writing and trying to stay positive, the truth is this WIP hurts. Really bad. So bad, I stopped working on it completely for - oh, about two weeks after the last call with my agent. I read, I ran, I meditated, I cried, I made a long list of every career I could do except write. Trouble is, I can't not write. I sat down two hours a day during the weeks of throwing my toys out of the pram and not writing 'properly' and I had a literary fling - I wrote a novella. Hemingway called keeping your hand and brain moving 'five finger exercises'. Just like playing scales if you can't play a symphony. Rest, but keep moving. Who knows if it's any good, it's in a drawer, I haven't looked at it again - yet.

The thing is, I can't let go of this WIP. Not having this book out in the world feels like a pregnancy past its due date. I am full of this story, and the characters are wriggling and trying to be heard, and until it is out there in the world I am restless and sleepless and I really want to see my feet again. Looking back at photos from 2017 when I started working on this idea, my children are so young. Four years is a long time. My eldest has just left for university. (Don't talk to me about empty nests, I'm so happy for her but quite bereft. As usual, social media provides and a friend posted this Larkin today).

I've talked to a lot of writer friends recently, reminiscing fondly about the early days of being published when everything felt easy and deals and books flowed freely. Although more people than ever have been reading, the pandemic has been tough creatively and financially for a lot of writers. Hot debut? Come on in. If you're already a stellar 'name' or a celebrity, clear the floor (and the supermarket shelves). For a lot of midlist writers the water's still and the wind has dropped. But tides turn.

'One of my biggest regrets,' Nora said, 'is that I didn't spend my youth staring lovingly at my neck.' I feel like that about my WIP. Four years ago joyfully researching this book, or three years ago when I was up a mountain in France merrily drafting the outline instead of skiing I had no idea that I would be ten drafts in and going back in for a final round with it, nor that I would hear another writer in one of my groups is suddenly working on the same niche subject. (Here's some advice: don't get lulled into false sense of security when your script is being sub'd and talk about your book. If you have a hot idea hold it under your hat until the book is out in the world). The title, which was unique and unused, has also been taken by another writer in the last couple of months. Annoying, but as ever - there are no new stories (or titles for that matter), just perspectives. Only you can write the story your way.

So, if you're in the same boat, don't give up. Writing is a craft and as someone said it takes damn hard work to make it look easy. This quote came up recently: “Of course, there are those critics - New York critics as a rule - who say, 'Well, Maya Angelou has a new book out and of course it's good but then she's a natural writer.' Those are the ones I want to grab by the throat and wrestle to the floor because it takes me forever to get it to sing. I work at the language.” - Maya Angelou.

Do the work. Persevere. I've been lucky enough to workshop this book with brilliant writers - my beloved writing family the MA/PhD alumni of the Manchester Writing School keep me going. We've met every month through the pandemic and recently for a week of zoom writing workshops. They would tell me if it stank, and they have kept me writing and editing. As Nora said - you can't just have a neck lift, you have to do the face as well. Every time I have picked apart the twin-timeline I've had to edit both the past and contemporary strands. You can't do one without the other. I love this book, but I hate it, I've read it so many damn times. Some of the best advice when you are starting writing is to find your group - you need people who understand what you are trying to do, and keep you going.

Twin timeline edit number - who knows?

Crucially, after months of feeling really bad about the book/neck I've had a breakthrough. Perhaps you're the same - my bullshitometer has gone past breaking point. I care a lot - a whole lot - about not bringing home the bacon for my family in the usual way - yet. This book isn't a hobby, this is my career. Right now, I care more that this god-awful pandemic has kept my family apart on opposite sides of the world for almost a year and a half. I care more about the people who have lost jobs, and lives because of this wretched disease. This is a good book, its time will come. I believe in it. All I can do for now is my best. When it's done, it will be published one way or another.

As Elizabeth Gilbert said: Continuing to write after that heartache of disappointment doesn’t take only discipline, but also self-forgiveness… One day, when I was agonizing over how utterly bad my writing felt, I realized: “That’s actually not my problem.” The point I realized was this—I never promised the universe that I would write brilliantly; I only promised the universe that I would write. So I put my head down and sweated through it, as per my vows.

During all these months of feeling bad about my WIP, I ran the virtual Camino de Santiago. It was a walk I hoped to do in real life before one of those significant '0' birthdays this summer. A friend did it a few years ago and it changed her life. Instead I've hiked through forests and walked on Exmoor and run virtually 'through' places I love - London and Paris, Singapore and Rome. I am not a good runner, but I enjoy it. I've had an on-off relationship with Michael Johnson for a couple of years now. The Couch to 5k programme is a really good place to start, if you're thinking about it. Writing and running or walking go hand in hand. If your job has you sitting on your backside hours a day you really need to get up and move it. Movement is a meditation - it unknots thoughts and plot problems, it gives your characters room and space to grow when the chatter of your monkey mind won't shut up: 'I can barely write a shopping list'; 'this stinks'; 'oh god he/she got the deal/editor/prize' ... Just put on a pair of trainers and head out the door.

We need to ring-fence our mental space and health more than ever, I think. I find myself incredulous and often incandescent on a daily basis - fuel shortages, the army going in, empty food shelves. Don't get me started on Brexit, the climate, the rank misogyny in our society. My son said to me on the school run: "everything is getting worse isn't it? We were lucky to live through the good times." He's fifteen. Even children are noticing what's going on. So, what to do?

For me, when something's not working it always helps to go back to basics. Put everything you think you know aside and see what comes up afresh. One of my favourite lines about writing comes from Anne Enright. She said "no one who is any good feels confident. What makes you so special?" Accept uncertainty. Go back to school. I signed up for a deceptively chilled 'Yoga for Writing' workshop with the brilliantly sweary Stella Duffy the other day. Stella is a terrific writer, and - it turns out - inspiring workshop leader. I really, really recommend her classes - you can do them online anywhere in the world, or in person at Level Six. The gist of the workshop was: there is magic in mistakes. Allow yourself to fail. Allow pain and grief. Then, as Stella might have said: Write f*ing champagne.

In France during WW2 they had 'jours sans alcool'. The only exception to the ban was champagne. It was seen as a necessity. I've just signed up for Sober October in aid of Macmillan - my Dad's birthday was in October and he died of cancer, so it always seems like a good idea. But this month I am having champagne, of the writing variety at least. In the hope - as with dogs and children - if I ignore the WIP it will start to behave itself, I am writing champagne, doing a contemporary romance course with CBC courtesy of the RNA, (thank you, both - I really recommend the course led by brilliant Jenny Colgan, and if you are just starting on your writing journey check out the RNA's NWS scheme).

We have to live in hope. In a long life and a long career writing, things tend to come in cycles and you remember that things always shift and change if you just keep going. I remember after 9/11, twenty years ago, when I was working on an early draft of 'The Perfume Garden' in Spain, many people in the creative industries felt what they did was trite and shallow. We were at war. And recently there have been many days when I've thought: you're not frontline NHS or a keyworker, what on earth have you got to feel so bereft about? But think back to Alfred Barr's call to arms - as director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York during WW2, he said the arts make life worthwhile. They are worth fighting for. Perhaps something you write just might make the day of someone on the pandemic frontline a little bit lighter. Get out of your head and into the world and see if you can't make it brighter. In tough times champagne is exactly what you need and it doesn't stop being marvellous just because the world's gone mad. Be defiant. Be kind, to yourself and others. Write with hope - always. Write champagne.

Guest: Fanny Blake

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 14:28:00 +0000

How are you all? On Exmoor we are enjoying an Indian Summer - long, warm days, golden evenings and the fig tree is finally full of ripe fruit. If you've missed travelling this summer, you are in for a treat with today's guest. Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing both fiction and non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written various non-fiction titles, acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities, and is a former books editor of Woman & Home magazine. She has been a judge of a number of literary prizes, including the Costa First Novel award, the Desmond Elliott Award, the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award and the British Book Awards. She is also the commissioning editor for Quick Reads and a book reviewer. She has written seven novels, including Our Summer Together and An Italian Summer. If you are searching for gorgeous, escapist fiction set in beautiful locations, look no further ...

Q: Fanny, you've had such a fascinating career - first as a publisher and editor, and recently as a journalist and novelist. What have been the highlights so far?

So many highlights as a publisher and editor, working closely with the likes of Dirk Bogarde, Marilyn French, Elizabeth Jane Howard. As the paperback editorial director of Penguin, I worked with William Boyd, Martin Amis, Katie Fforde, Clare Chambers, Muriel Spark and many many more. It was a golden time and I was very lucky.

Since then the real highlight has been becoming a published novelist myself, not something I ever dreamed would happen. The publisher of my first novel, What Women Want, gave me a wonderful party to celebrate which I’ll never forget.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your writing journey. Have you always written from a young age, or did this come later?

Funnily enough I must have had some dreams of being a writer since I recently found my carefully hand written first novel that I wrote when I was about eight, about a family of Canadian geese. That ambition (along with the one of being an actress!) got buried for years as I worked with authors on their books and believed that writing was what other people did. It wasn’t until I finally left my career in publishing that I fell into a career in journalism (thanks to a very good friend). After years of writing interiors pieces, book reviewing and travel journalism I turned my had to film and TV tie-ins such as Grand Designs, A Place in The Sun and Location, Location, Location. This in turn led to me ghosting a number of celebrity autobiographies, which I loved doing. Only after that did I turn my hand to fiction. Truth to tell, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve turned my hand to. The travel journalism was obviously wonderful because I got to travel to far flung places like St Lucia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Canada, South Africa and then wrote about the experiences which were many and varied. I loved ghosting because it took me into different worlds that I knew nothing about, such as high couture, athletics, singing or International Red Cross nursing, each one absolutely fascinating.

Q: It's been a tough year for everyone, how have you found the lockdowns creatively, and do you have any advice for anyone struggling?

I’ve found the past year difficult. My concentration’s been shot to pieces and I’ve found it very hard to knuckle down and write for a sustained period of time. But I know that many people have suffered the same thing and worse. If you’re struggling, I’d say be kind to yourself. If you miss a day writing, it’s not the end of the world. With a deadline (personal or publisher’s) I find it better to set myself a routine and write for short periods, so by the end of the day I’ve done something, even if not as much as I’d like.

Q: I've always maintained that the so-called 'Pram in the Hall' is a good place to rest your notebook. Do you have any tips for writers starting out on their career balancing day job/home/writing?

I didn’t start my writing career until my 3 children had grown up so I didn’t have that dilemma. But I’d say all you have to do is show up at your desk and write – it doesn’t matter when. I’ve met people who have written before their children are up and after they’ve gone to bad. If you want to do it badly enough, you will. It just might take you a little bit longer. But don’t give up.

Q: You were the Books Editor of Woman & Home for many years - when you're not reviewing, what do you love reading? Who are your writer heroes?

After years of working in publishing, I’ve got pretty eclectic taste. I love a good thriller – just read Paula Hawkins’ brilliant Slow Fires Burning for example. Another at the top of my list is an sharply observed slice of life that’s witty and touching such as Katherine Heiny’s Early Morning Writer. As for heroes. I’ve got so many but my top two have to be Anne Tyler and Margaret Atwood.

Q: What's been your proudest moment (so far)? And what's next for you?

My proudest moment was when my first novel What Women Want was published. Since then I’ve written another nine novels, and it never gets easier so I’m almost as proud each time one hits the shelves. At the moment I’m just finishing a novel about a mother and her daughter-in-law. It’s a twisty family drama where lots of secrets are forced into the open and threaten the stability of everyone’s lives.

Q: Your latest book is 'The Long Way Home' - what can you tell us about it?

The Long Way Home is about a 60-something year-old grandmother, Isla, who finds herself left out of her mother’s will. All she receives is a picture while the rest of the sizable estate is split between her sisters. To find out why, she decides to travel round the UK to unpick the mystery. Just as she’s about to leave, she’s forced to take her sullen and difficult 14-year-old granddaughter, Charlie, with her. Together with her smelly old Labrador, the three of set off to uncover some shattering truths and life-changing truths, at the same time as learning to love each other. The novel moves between this and 1950s’ Paris where the mystery really begins …

Q: Your books cast such a warm, wise eye on family life and the locations are always wonderfully escapist. Which destination is next on your wish list once we can all travel freely again?

I’m dying to go back to Formentera, an island I love and visit often as I have friends who live there. Otherwise, I went to Peru at the end of 2019 and would love to see more of South America.

Thank you, Fanny!

Thank you – It’s been a pleasure x

You can order 'The Long Way Home' from Fanny's favourite indie bookstore, Bookbar here. The books are also available at Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops.

Follow Fanny Blake on Twitter @fannyblake1 Facebook and Instagram.

Summertime

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 10:55:00 +0000

How are you all? It seems impossible that it's twenty years since I first saw Dromquinna, inspiration for Diana's castle in the new book. I fell in love with Kerry, with the magical drive out to Dingle. I imagined Diana even then striding around the countryside, and carried her with me for years until I wrote this book. If you ever get the chance to go to Ireland, jump at it. It's heaven on earth.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been hosted at some wonderful book blogs talking about the inspiration for the story, and you might enjoy some of these posts and discovering some great new book sites:

From First Page to Last: an exclusive short story

Opening Lines an extract from the opening of the book

My Reading Corner the inspiration behind the story

Biblio Treasures extract

Shalini review

Sarah's Vignettes extract

Always Need More Books the real thing - why real books will always be more loved than ebooks

Cal Turner extract

The Bookcosy - the juggling act (how to balance writing and family life - or not)

Which brings us back to the original title of WKDN: if your juggling skills could give the Cirque du Soleil a run for its money, this is the blog for you. Nearly fifteen years worth of posts are archived away here, and hopefully plenty of tips for anyone just starting out on their writing journey. I hope you enjoy them. Blogger and feedburner are stopping email subscriptions, so for those of you who read by email - thank you. I'm sorry they are stopping this service, but I hope you'll follow along @katelordbrown on Twitter and Insta where I'll flag up any new posts.

Happy reading x

Publication Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 13:20:00 +0000

How are you all? After months stuck at home it is so lovely to be out in the sunshine, and today a trip up to the coast and Dunster Castle to celebrate publication of 'A Summer at the Castle'. Exmoor looks beautiful at the moment - the winding road up to the sea from us is cloaked in shifting light, tree tunnels arcing over you as you drive. Dunster is a beautiful place with the castle perched high on the hill above the main street. In winter there's a candlelit parade with flaming torches - magical and pagan in feel. Today, bathed in sunshine with the birds singing in the trees the old castle felt very welcoming. Where better to launch a giveaway - to win a signed copy, one of my favourite National Trust bookmarks and a bar of their great chocolate (the book is all about food, after all), just comment below, or head over to Twitter and Instagram - RT, Regram or tag a friend. I'll pick two winners on Sunday.

Here's a little about the book:

Scandal, secrets and strawberries.

A recipe for disaster...

Every summer, Diana Hughes organises a famous baking competition at her beautiful castle in the south west of

Ireland

, to raise funds for its upkeep. But this year, amongst the bunting and scrumptious cakes, everything is turning out a little differently than planned!

'Baking, romance and thrills - what more could anyone ask for?' My Weekly

Bookshop.org

Waterstones

Amazon

Through the week I'm delighted to be guesting at some great book blogs, so do follow along and join in the fun. Today I'm over with Janet at From First Page to Last with an exclusive short story featuring Diana, owner of the castle.

Happy reading!

Guest: Jenny Kane

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 11:44:00 +0000

Today, I'm delighted to welcome Jenny Kane to WKDN. We first met several years ago on the Romance panel at Taunton Literary Festival. Jenny is the only writer I know with a brass plaque above the cafe table where she can be found working each morning ...

Q: Writing and family life is a constant juggling act - is that where the coffee shop comes in?

Absolutely. I’ve never been able to write from home (until a combination of lockdown and a fast approaching deadline forced my hand and moved me into my garden shed!).

The nearness of ironing, washing etc that needs doing is such a distraction when I’m at home – so escaping to a place where I can’t see it all silently nagging at my conscience works for me.

At the coffee shop, not only do I have the pleasure of physically ‘going to work’, but I get good coffee made for me by someone else. And, of course, my fellow coffee-sippers provide an endless source of inspiration!

Q: Jenny, can you tell us a bit about your writing journey. Have you always written? I seem to remember you come from an interesting academic background and have a PhD in archaeology?

As you rightly say, my background is academic. I have a degree in archaeology and a PhD in medieval criminology and ballad literature (Or Robin Hood and crime if you like!)

My journey into writing was purely accidental and came from a combination of loneliness and boredom. I had recently moved to Scotland – I knew no one and, with two small children, my life was very much at the ‘I love my kids but my brain is melting’ level of life.

On the day my youngest went to school for the first time, I took myself off for a solo café trip. It was in that coffee shop, over a black coffee, that I had an idea for a short story. Until that moment I had never had any urge to write – but there and then, I had to. There was no choice in the matter. I scribbled the tale down onto a paper napkin.

Miraculously, that short story was taken up by a publisher – and now, 16 years later, I’m still writing.

Q: So does your interest in history feed in to the novels of your alter-ego Jennifer Ash?

Very much so – I’ve always loved medieval history – especially the thirteenth and fourteenth century.

My own research focuses on the fourteenth century – in particular the Midlands of England, and a criminal gang of brothers, known as the Folvilles, from Leicestershire.

I steal shamelessly from my PhD research for the plotlines for The Folville Chronicles. Each of the four novels in the series are worked around a real crime committed by the Folville family- then I weave additional fictitious crimes and happenings around them.

Q: Tell me more about Jason Connery..! (Full disclosure, I was an 80s Michael Praed fan - lifesize poster on the back of the bedroom door!)

Mr Connery is a lovely chap. Someone I never thought I’d meet – but then, nor did I think I’d ever write scripts for my favourite TV show of all time- Robin of Sherwood! My 14 year old self is still in shock.

Anyone who loved Robin of Sherwood (which was hugely popular on ITV in the 1980’s), should check out www.spitefulpuppet.com – where they’ll be able to find brand new RoS audio adventures, staring the original cast – including the aforementioned Mr C, plus Michael Praed, Clive Mantle, Mark Ryan, Nickolas Grace, Ray Winstone and the gang.

My involvement in the writing of these new stories (scripts and novels), came as a total surprise to me. I had been at a Hooded Man Event (fans still meet every 2 yrs in a big convention), selling my romcom, Romancing Robin Hood, at a trade stall. While I was there a lovely man called Barnaby Eaton Jones (who runs the conventions and manages the Spiteful Puppet audios and books), asked me if I had ever fancied having a go at a script for the boys. Obviously, I said yes- not thinking it was more than a kind gesture. However, he gave me a chance and – to my amazement- the ITV team liked my scripts.

I owe Barnaby a great deal. I had never written a script before, so to take a leap of faith on my ability like that was a big deal

Q: Do you find writing under several names gives you a sense of creative freedom? Do you write different books simultaneously or is your mental space a battle ground between Kay, Jen, Jennifer etc?

I love the freedom of it – all three ‘mes’ are very different people. I inhabit the personas when I’m writing as each of them – then, when work is over, I can go back to being the ‘real’ me.

All of my pennames are attached to much braver people than me – so they give me more confidence, and the ability to do the talks, workshops and book signings and so on. The real me has very limited confidence.

I split my days into three parts – the morning is for Jenny, the middle of the day is for Jennifer and then Kay (when I’m writing as her- which is rare these days) has the late afternoon when needed. So far, I’ve had no trouble creating the mental space of all of the ‘mes’- but sometimes I do forget who I am!

Q: It's been a tough year for everyone writing, but you've had amazing success with deals with Aria and Headline - congratulations! How are you finding working with a big publisher? What's been the main advantage?

It’s been a mad year. My schedule is fearsome- with complete novels needing writing and editing in six month periods. However, I’m not complaining. When publishers like Aria (Head of Zeus) take a chance on you, you don’t want to let them down!

I thrive under pressure and love my job, so it’s been amazing to have the chance to work with them and Headline.

The last three Mill Grange series novels have been written entirely under lockdown – that’s 300,000 words in 12 months. (Plus a Jennifer Ash novel and five scripts in that time too – so make that 400,000 words plus since last March.)

The main advantage of working with a big publisher is that they have a wider reach sales wise, and the product they produce is more polished. Smaller publishers simply can’t afford the number of edits and checks needed to make a book as perfect as it should be.

Having said that I loved working with the majority of the smaller publishers who helped me follow this path – without them giving me a chance in the first place, I’d never have been accepted by Aria or Headline.

Q: you also teach creative writing workshops through Imagine - are there any workshops planned?

My workshops are still happening, as are the writing retreats I run (with Alison Knight) from Northmoor House on Exmoor. If anyone fancies joining us in October for some writing freedom, then we still have 3 bedrooms available.

All details of the retreat and my workshops can be found at www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk

Most of my tutoring time is spent teaching my Novel in a Year course. This takes new novelists from the first to last word of their novel and beyond, over a twelve month period.

A new series of these will begin in November – details will appear on the Imagine website soon.

Q: When you're not writing what do you love reading? Who are your writer heroes?

I read as much as I can. It’s always been a passion.

At the moment I’m reading one of Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks crime novels – A Friend of the Devil. His style of writing is superb – I’m learning a lot as I read it.

My reading preferences are wide – I love Victorian crime/gothic fiction, British crime fiction and pretty much anything by Terry Pratchett!

Colin Dexter was definitely one of my writing heroes – a great man, who never wasted a single word. His books are also fabulous resources for anyone who isn’t sure about their punctuation! If in doubt- do what Colin does.

I am also in awe of Kate Griffin and Oscar du Muriel – both experts in the field of Victorian crime/thriller fiction. If only I could write like them!

Q: What's been your proudest moment (so far)? And what's next for Jenny/Jennifer?

I’ve been blessed with lots of wonderful moments in my career – it’s hard to pick one to be my proudest moment – but if pressed...

I think for Kay Jaybee it would have to be winning Best Erotica Writer of 2015.

As Jennifer Ash, it has to be when I saw my name on an ITV audio script next to the words – Robin of Sherwood for the first time.

And as Jenny Kane, it would be the very first time I saw a ‘bestseller’ sticker next to my name in the main Amazon chart. (For Abi’s House – now known as A Cornish Escape)

Currently, (as Jenny Kane) I’m in the editing stage of the final Mill Grange book – Winter Fires at Mill Grange – which will be published this Christmas. Meanwhile, Jennifer Ash is engaged in a new project which I’m not allowed to talk about – but it’s very exciting!

Huge thanks for inviting me over to chat today,

Jenny xxx

Bio

From the comfort of her cafe corner in Mid Devon, award winning author, Jenny Kane, wrote the contemporary women’s fiction and romance novels, Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange, (Aria 2021), Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange, (Aria, 2020), Midsummer Dreams at Mill Grange (Aria, 2020), A Cornish Escape (2^nd edition, HeadlineAccent, 2020), A Cornish Wedding (2^nd edition, HeadlineAccent, 2020), Romancing Robin Hood (2^nd edition, Littwitz Press, 2018), Another Glass of Champagne (Accent Press, 2016), and Another Cup of Coffee (Accent Press, 2013).

(Winter Fires at Mill Grange will be published by Aria in December 2021)

Jenny has also written 3 novella length sequels to her Another Cup of.....books: Another Cup of Christmas (Accent Press, 2013), Christmas in the Cotswolds (Accent, 2014), and Christmas at the Castle (Accent, 2016). These three seasonal specials are now available in one boxed set entitled Jenny Kane’s Christmas Collection (Accent, 2016)

Jenny is also the author of quirky children’s picture books There’s a Cow in the Flat (Hushpuppy, 2014) and Ben’s Biscuit Tin (Hushpuppy, 2015)

Under the pen name, Jennifer Ash, Jenny has also written The Folville Chronicles (The Outlaw’s Ransom, The Winter Outlaw, Edward’s Outlaw, Outlaw Justice - published by Littwitz Press, 2016-2020), The Power of Three (Spiteful Puppet, 2020) and The Meeting Place (Spiteful Puppet, 2019). She has also created five audio scripts for ITV’s popular 1980’s television show, Robin of Sherwood.

The Waterford Boy, Mathilda’s Legacy, The Baron’s Daughter, The Meeting Place and Fitzwarren’s Well were released by Spiteful Puppet in 2017/2018/2019/2020.

Jenny Kane is the writer in residence for Tiverton Costa in Devon. She also co-runs the creative writing business, Imagine. Jenny teaches a wide range of creative writing workshops including her popular ‘Novel in a Year’ course. (www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk)

All of Jennifer Ash’s and Jenny Kane’s news can be found at www.jennykane.co.uk

@JenAshHistory

@JennyKaneAuthor

@Imagine_Writing

Jennifer Ash https://www.facebook.com/jenniferashhistorical/

Jenny Kane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011235488766

Imagine www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk

'Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange' has just been published by Aria,

and is available here.

PS: Jenny was kind enough to invite me to Northmoor last year to talk to her students - it's a beautiful setting and Jen and Alison are great tutors. If you could do with some time away with your writing, (who couldn't ...), book now.

JEWELS: Veronica Henry

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 11:35:00 +0000

I don’t know the story behind this ring at all, except that it was a present to my beloved grandmother from my grandfather, I think for their fortieth wedding anniversary.

But I’m going to give it a story of my own.

I was very close to my grandmother - she was the archetypal slightly bonkers Anglo-Irish eccentric, and taught me the fine art of walking into a room without being afraid. We were as close as we could be given that she lived in Ireland, and from her I got my love of food and friends, preferably combined. She had a warmth and spirit that made her redoubtable and unforgettable.

When I got divorced, I really missed her, because she would have been unflinchingly stoic in her advice, but would have given me confidence too.

One of the worst things about getting divorced is taking off your wedding and engagement rings. I felt naked and unprotected and vulnerable without them, almost like half a person: no longer a wife. I felt like a shadow or an impostor.

I decided to wear my grandmother’s ring instead. As soon as I put it on, I felt strong. As if her love was with me. As if she was giving me all the confidence and joie de vivre she had. I’m going out into the world with it on, and I shall write myself a new story, knowing I have her protection.

People often ask me what kind of books I write and it's a very difficult question to answer in one sentence. Primarily, I love to take my readers somewhere they might like to be, whether a gorgeous house in the countryside or on a seaside clifftop. There, my characters go through the trials and tribulation of everyday life, embroiled in situations and dilemmas we can all relate to. Love is at the heart of it, but all kinds of love, not just romantic: the love of friends and family, or a place, or a passion for what you enjoy (food, wine and books, in my case . . .)

I have a background in writing television drama (Heartbeat, Holby City) so that has been an influence - creating lots of characters whose lives impact on each other. Working on The Archers I was taught 'Make 'em laugh; make 'em cry; but above all, make 'em wait'!

I hope my books are beautifully written, uplifting and a little bit escapist. I'd love to know what you think, so do leave a review. Or you can contact me via Twitter @veronica_henry, or on Facebook or Instagram @veronicahenryauthor

A little bit about me: I live by the sea and head to the beach every day with my dog Zelda. I love cooking and discovering new restaurants on city breaks, with a bit of yoga to offset the calories - and I've just bought an e-bike. My biggest writing influences are HE Bates, Nancy Mitford, Jilly Cooper and any book that has a big rambling house and an eccentric family . . .

A Day at the Beach Hut: Escape to the coast with this delicious collection of short stories and beach-hut inspired recipes from Sunday Times bestselling author Veronica Henry - the perfect summer treat!

On a shimmering summer's day on the coast, the waves are calling, the picnic basket is packed, and change is in the air...

A family enjoy their last holiday at a much-loved beach hut. The tide brings in an old face - and a new temptation - while a writer's retreat is shaken up by a surprise arrival. The simple pleasures of the seaside compete with the Instagram dream, a couple's future is turned upside down, and a celebratory evening takes a stormy turn. And as the sun sets, an unexpected romance is simmering...

From a windswept breakfast while the surf's up, to a romantic seafood dinner under the stars,
enjoy a little taste of the seaside - wherever you are.

This uplifting collection of eight original short stories and over fifty delicious recipes will transport you to the golden sands of Everdene for a perfect day at the beach hut.

Your favourite authors love to escape with Veronica Henry's feel-good stories!

'As uplifting as summer sunshine' - Sarah Morgan
'A delicious treat of a book' - Milly Johnson
'An utter delight' - Jill Mansell
'Truly blissful escapism' - Lucy Diamond
'A heartwarming story combined with Veronica's sublime writing' - Cathy Bramley

You can find out more about Ronnie's books here, and they are available from Amazon, Waterstones, Bookshop.org and all good bookstores. 'A Day at the Beach Hut' will be published on 10th June and can be pre-ordered here.

JEWELS: Ruth Hogan

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 12:55:00 +0000

My dad gave me this small, green cross many years ago. He told me that it had been a gift from a little girl whose village he had liberated in Kenya when he was there on National Service. I kept it and wore it, but never thought much more about the story behind it until my parents both died last year, six weeks apart to the day.

Mum and Dad met and started going out just days before Dad flew out to Kenya for four months to fight with British troops against the Mau Mau uprising. He was twenty and she was eighteen. When I was clearing out the family home, I found an old cardboard suitcase in the loft filled with the letters that they had written to one another while Dad was in Kenya. They wrote almost every day. Mum’s letters were full of news about daily life, family, friends, work and play. She describes shopping trips, visits to the cinema, parties and tennis matches. Dad’s letters speak of army life in a strange country far from home. They are written with his trademark humour, and there is only the occasional mention of the horrors that they faced.

All the letters are full of obvious affection which slowly and almost imperceptibly blossomed into love. These letters have been a blessing and their final gift to me. I have learnt so much about them that I never knew – about their lives when they were young. Before, I only ever knew them as my parents. Now, to me, the green cross is priceless, because it belongs to that special time, narrated in their letters, when they met and fell in love.

Photo credit: Ruth Hogan

Madame Burova - Tarot Reader, Palmist and Clairvoyant is retiring and leaving her booth on the Brighton seafront after fifty years.

Imelda Burova has spent a lifetime keeping other people's secrets and her silence has come at a price. She has seen the lovers and the liars, the angels and the devils, the dreamers and the fools. Her cards had unmasked them all and her cards never lied. But Madame Burova is weary of other people's lives, their ghosts from the past and other people's secrets, she needs rest and a little piece of life for herself. Before that, however, she has to fulfill a promise made a long time ago. She holds two brown envelopes in her hand, and she has to deliver them.

In London, it is time for another woman to make a fresh start. Billie has lost her university job, her marriage, and her place in the world when she discovers something that leaves her very identity in question. Determined to find answers, she must follow a trail which might just lead right to Madame Burova's door.

In a story spanning over fifty years, Ruth Hogan conjures a magical world of 1970s holiday camps and seaside entertainers, eccentrics, heroes and villains, the lost and the found. Young people, with their lives before them, make choices which echo down the years. And a wall of death rider is part of a love story which will last through time.

I can't imagine a better book in which to lose yourself at the moment. Stunning, immersive and absolutely wonderful.' - Annie Lyons

'Woke up early to finish this breathtakingly beautiful story. Ruth Hogan's Madame Burova is absolutely wonderful.' - Celia Anderson

'A triumph! It's moving and entertaining and packed with surprises... When I look into my crystal ball I predict it's going to be a MASSIVE hit!' - Matt Cain, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle

Review: Madame Burova conjures a nostalgic 1970s seaside community centred on Larkins holiday camp. Filled with colourful characters from Cillian the death-defying stunt rider with matinee idol good looks to a troupe of aquatic mermaids and Imelda Burova the gifted clairvoyant, the novel sweeps you up into its warm embrace. 'She had seen the lovers and the liars, the angels and the devils, the dreamers and the fools.' Imelda draws you in to the story - she is a fully realised character of great warmth, tempered by the grief she carries with her. There's a touch of magic to her: 'It's as though she's always been some sort of fairy godmother waiting in the wings.' The novel's deeper issues - illegitimacy, racism, harassment - are handled with clear sighted kindness. Hogan looks at people on the edge of our society, the people who fall between the cracks - 'No man's land was never a safe or comfortable place to be'. As a young woman, Billie, searches for the truth about her birth parents, Hogan skilfully peels aside the veils to reveal a fifty year old secret which will keep you guessing right up to the last page, (which - if you're like me - will make you cry. Any book with a hound at its heart wins mine). KLB

Madame Burova is published on 1/4/21 and available from The Eagle Bookshop.

Photo credit: Ruth Hogan

RUTH HOGAN: I was brought up in a house full of books, and grew up with an unsurprising passion for reading and writing. I also loved (and still do) dogs and ponies, seaside piers (particularly the Palace Pier in Brighton) snow globes and cemeteries. And potatoes. So of course, I was going to be a vet, show jumper, or gravedigger. Or potato farmer.

Or maybe a writer...

I studied English and Drama at Goldsmiths College, University of London where I hennaed my hair, wore dungarees, had aspirations to be the fourth member of Bananarama and generally had an amazing time. And then I got a proper job. For ten years I had a successful if uninspiring career in local government before a car accident left me unable to work full-time and was the kick up the butt I needed to start writing seriously.

It was all going well, but then in 2012 I got cancer, which was bloody inconvenient but precipitated an exciting hair journey from bald to a peroxide blonde Annie Lennox crop. When chemo kept me up all night I passed the time writing and the eventual result was THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS, my bestselling debut novel, which was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Since then I have had two further novels published, THE WISDOM OF SALLY RED SHOES and QUEENIE MALONE'S PARADISE HOTEL and for my fourth, MADAME BUROVA, I learnt to read Tarot cards and developed a hankering for a traditional vardo and pony.

I live in a chaotic Victorian house with an assortment of rescue dogs and my long-suffering husband. I am a magpie; always collecting treasures (or 'junk' depending on your point of view), a huge John Betjeman fan and I would very much like a full-size galloping horses carousel in my back garden.

As a full-time author I am living the dream, and I'm so grateful to all my readers for making that possible. I love hearing from you, so please feel free to drop me a line on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

You can find out more about Ruth's work at her site, and her books are available from Amazon, Bookshop.org, Waterstones.

JEWELS: Liz Fenwick

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 12:53:00 +0000

I love jewellery. I always have. Maybe it was the joy of going through my mother’s jewellery box on the top of her dresser but if it sparkled I loved it. When Kate asked me to write about my favourite piece one came to mind. We were living in Moscow and I used to walk down the Arbat almost daily and peer into shop windows. There was one that had an odd collection of jewellery, snuff boxes, oil lamps and I would spend ages quietly wondering about the pieces until one day a jewelled bug appeared and I fell in love. I have to admit I was heavily pregnant with my third child. This was important - as with the birth of each one my husband had given me a gift – something I wouldn’t buy for myself. For my eldest it was a pair of boots I desperately wanted and for child two when we were living in Calgary, Alberta it was glorious down – guaranteed to keep me warm…I decided there on the spot that this bug should be my present.

Weeks later I trailed my husband past the window displaying the bug necklace several times then shoved him into the store. His mastery of Russian was far superior to mine. They haggled over the price then Chris told me they weren’t budging on price. I said fine, leave it and walked out…or more correctly waddled out. Chris was stunned that I would walk away from something I wanted so badly but I was determined not to pay over the odds. He and owner came and collected me from half way down the street. I was put in a comfortable chair, given sweet tea and told that I could have my bug for the price I wanted.

After this…Chris always left me to the do the negotiations for some reason….

The first time I wore the bug, Sasha, my daughter wasn’t born yet but it felt right to wear it to the Central House of Writers for dinner on Pushkin’s birthday. It was a meal I’ll never forget and I felt magical with my green bug clasped on a string of pearls about my neck.

Sometimes going home is just the beginning…

Boskenna, the beautiful, imposing house standing on the Cornish cliffs, means something different to each of the Trewin women.

For Joan, as a glamorous young wife in the 1960s, it was a paradise where she and her husband could entertain and escape a world where no one was quite what they seemed – a world that would ultimately cost their marriage and end in tragedy.

Diana, her daughter, still dreams of her childhood there – the endless blue skies and wide lawns, book-filled rooms and parties, the sound of the sea at the end of the coastal path – even though the family she adored was shattered there.

And for the youngest, broken-hearted Lottie, heading home in the August traffic, returning to Boskenna is a welcome escape from a life gone wrong in London, but will mean facing a past she’d hoped to forget.

As the three women gather in Boskenna for a final time, the secrets hidden within the beautiful old house will be revealed in a summer that will leave them changed for ever.

PRAISE FOR THE PATH TO THE SEA:

‘Vivid and beautifully written, Liz Fenwick is a gifted storyteller’ Sarah Morgan

'Atmospheric, emotional and full of mystery – an absolute pleasure from page one' Veronica Henry

'A wonderfully evocative story, packed with secrets and emotion’ Judy Finnigan

‘Pure escapism at its best’ The Sun

You can find out more about Liz's work at her site. The Path to the Sea is available now. Liz's new novel The River Between Us is available for preorder.

JEWELS: Leila Aboulela

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 12:22:00 +0000

As a child, on special occasions, I used to wear brooches pinned to my chest. These brooches were designed especially for little girls. I can remember a flower, an elephant and an ice cream cone. I still have in my possession a bird perched on a branch and my favourite the winking cat. In the tradition of cartoons, the bird has an enlarged head and a smaller body. The head is in gold and the body turquoise. The ruby eye, one only because the bird is looking sideways, is fringed with a spray of diamond dust for an eyebrow. The bird’s golden toes are curled around the arch of a gold branch. One of its wings holds a flower whose centre is turquoise and its petals tiny pearls. As an adult I can see now that the bird is more exquisite than the cat which lost one side of its whiskers over time. But the cat was my favourite. Similarly designed to the bird, it was bigger and heavier. When I wore it, the turquoise belly was a pleasure to stroke. The cat’s luxuriant tail was a pillow that it could sit on. And best of all it looked straight at me and winked.

Made with gold, flecks of diamonds and precious stones, these childhood pieces of jewellery, often gifts, were valuable and though too young to fully understand this, I was made aware that I must look after them, that I must not lose or damage them. So naturally no running around, no getting dishevelled or careless. The brooches weighed me down, they were, despite their frivolous appearance, a responsibility.

I outgrew them fast enough and yet I was never able to bond as much with other pieces of jewellery. When my own daughter was little, it seemed old-fashioned to pin these brooches on her clothes. None of the girls her age wore any. So the winking cat stayed locked away. Valuable, frivolous and no longer appropriate nor fashionable, it remains fastened securely to my childhood.

Leila Aboulela was born in Cairo, grew up in Khartoum and moved in her mid-twenties to Aberdeen. She is the author of five novels, Bird Summons, The Translator, a New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year, The Kindness of Enemies, Minaret and Lyrics Alley, Fiction Winner of the Scottish Book Awards. Leila was the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing and her latest story collection, Elsewhere, Home won the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award. Leila’s work has been translated into fifteen languages and she was long-listed three times for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her plays The Insider, The Mystic Life and others were broadcast on BBC Radio and her fiction included in publications such as Freeman’s, Granta and Harper’s Magazine.

You can find out more about Leila's work here.

* A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF 2019 *

* SHORTLISTED FOR THE SALTIRE FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 *

* LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2019 *

'BIRD SUMMONS is a magic carpet ride into the forest of history and the lives of women. Deep and wild' Lucy Ellmann, Booker-shortlisted author of DUCKS, NEWBURYPORT

Salma, happily married, tries every day to fit into life in Britain. When her first love contacts her, she is tempted to risk it all and return to Egypt.

Moni gave up a career in banking to care for her disabled son, but now her husband wants to move to Saudi Arabia - where she fears her son's condition will worsen.

Iman feels burdened by her beauty. In her twenties and already in her third marriage, she is treated like a pet and longs for freedom.

On a road trip to the Scottish Highlands, the women are visited by the Hoopoe, a sacred bird whose fables from Muslim and Celtic literature compel them to question the balance between faith and femininity, love, loyalty and sacrifice.

Brilliantly imagined, intense and haunting, Bird Summons confirms Leila Aboulela's reputation as one of our finest contemporary writers.

Available now.

JEWELS: Katherine Webb

noreply@blogger.com (Kate Lord Brown) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 14:05:00 +0000

My favourite piece of jewellery is also the only precious piece I own - my grandma's diamond and topaz ring. It's not particularly valuable - it was adapted from an earring when its partner was lost; the stone is a bit scratched and the gold band has worn so thin that I hardly ever dare to wear it. But, somehow, it seems to embody a little of the spirit of a much-loved woman. It has an unusual shape, which hints to me of the Orient; it's beautiful, unconventional, and has clearly been through a lot...just like her.

I inherited the ring when Grandma died in 2003, and it's strange that it fits me - Grandma had tiny hands, which she passed on to my mother and sister whilst I inherited my dad's hands. Charlotte Stella Miranda - my grandmother - was a wonderful person: warm, brave, elegant and self-composed. She was a Chanel-wearing grandma, not a woolly cardigan-wearing one, which never struck me as odd even though when I first knew them, my grandparents were farmers, down in Devon - I spent my childhood summers running wild on their farm with my cousins. It was only as I got older that I learnt more about their long, romantic and dramatic life together, and realised that the farm was just one chapter in a colourful history. Stella (as Grandma was known) met my grandfather in Benghazi, right after the war, while she was an actress touring with ENSA and Grandpa was a captain in the army. They fell in love at first sight, even though Stella was just nineteen, and Jewish - which Grandpa was not - and she was already engaged to a young man of whom her family approved...

It's a wonderful story - one which I may yet write about more fully, with my family's permission. For now, whenever I need to make a good impression at an important event, keep my cool or borrow a little style (I have none!), I wear the ring I inherited, and try to behave as Stella would have done.

What was hidden will be revealed...

When Frances' best friend Bronwyn disappeared over twenty years ago, her body was never found. The mystery over what happened has cast a shadow over Frances' life ever since.

Now, it's 1942 and bombs are raining down on Bath. In the chaos a little boy - Davy Noyle - goes missing. Frances was meant to be looking after him and she is tortured by guilt at his disappearance. Where has he gone, and could he possibly have survived?

But bombs conceal, and they reveal - and as quiet falls and the dust settles, a body is disturbed from its hiding place. What happened all those years ago? And can Frances put the wrongs of the past right again...?

Praise for The Disappearance:

'A wonderful wartime story . . . A huge treat' Kate Riordan

'I couldn't have loved it more. Riveting, haunting, beautifully written . . . a stunner!' Jenny Ashcroft

' Evocative . Totally transporting. This is a rich and delicious multi-layered read' Eve Chase

'A beautifully written and emotionally involving mystery...highly recommended' Amanda Jennings

' Immersive, powerful and beautifully written , The Disappearance had me hooked from the first page to the last. I loved it' Judith Kinghorn

Your favourite authors love Katherine Webb:

'An enormously talented writer' Santa Montefiore

'Katherine Webb's writing is beautiful' Elizabeth Fremantle

'Webb has a true gift for uncovering the mysteries of the human heart' Kate Williams

'A truly gifted writer of historical fiction' Lucinda Riley

The Disappearance is available now. Find out more about Katherine's work here.