Month: October 2017

Hi Ros and welcome. Can I start, as always, by asking you a little about yourself?

Selling up in the UK seemed a huge step in 2005, and so it was. My husband had been ill and needed to take early retirement so I did likewise. I was on my third primary school headship so although it was sad to say goodbye to the children and staff, I wasn’t sorry to say cheerio to all the form filling and other paperwork.
Life in France was very different in many ways but we got the medication and health care sorted and made friends among both the French and English communities in our small village. The pace of life was slower and in the 7 valleys, south of Boulogne, beautiful.
Although we enjoyed our time there, we returned to England ten years later. I missed the family (two daughters and four granddaughters), our huge garden was very hard work and with things becoming more uncertain politically, it seemed the right thing for us to do. No regrets for any of the moves and I love being back here. There are so many things to join and do. We do ballroom and Latin dancing, volunteer work with Guide Dogs, oh, tons more.

When did you first decide you wanted to write and how did you begin that journey?

I wrote a few stories to which young children enjoyed listening when I left school and worked as a teaching assistant. Then, following training, I started a novel, ‘Peace of Time’. My mother was a published author many times over and she was very encouraging. But I had a demanding job and a young family, all the usual ‘life stuff’, and I didn’t finish it.
In France, I took up that original idea and completed it. This was an excellent activity I could do at home, in a place where there was little else to do other than socialising. That was the book I needed to write and I indie published it. I took it down from Amazon as I completed workshops and courses and learned so much more about novel-writing. Whoops!
My second book was ‘Sense and French Ability’ and accepted by Endeavour Press and became an Amazon best seller, so I rewrote that first one and then they took that too.

Has working as a teaching professional helped your writing?

For young children, the skills are significantly different. Language is, of course, key but also the relationship between where on the page the words are placed and the affinity between illustration and writing is also important.
It is a such pleasure after having spent much of my time writing letters, policy documents and essays to have the freedom to write what I choose.
Writing for adults has involved learning about character development, plot structure, the dangers of head hopping, realistic speech, narrative or psychic distance . . . I could go on, and on, and on. It’s a never-ending learning curve. Now I’m the pupil not the teacher.

How do you go about research for your historical novels?

The first book in this series was ‘Flowers of Flanders’. In this, a malicious lie changes lives and sisters learn much about themselves and each other during turbulent times.
As we lived in the major area for battle fields of WW1, we visited key sites and attended evocative and moving commemoration ceremonies many times. This included reburials of discovered remains; absolutely fascinating to find out how their modern-day relatives were traced by the War Graves Commission. We visited Kew records’ office and found my grandfather’s WW1 service via the war diaries for his regiment. That was the inspiration for that novel and although it’s not her story the image on the front cover is my grandmother.
‘Flowers of Resistance’ is set in Vichy France, roughly, south of the Loire. We also have a house near there still, so I know that area well. It’s a sensitive time for French people to talk about so finding information was hard. Nevertheless, accuracy is critical even in a novel so research was difficult but crucial. Period authenticity in daily living is key, too.
‘Delphi’s Dilemma’ is a novella set between these two. People wanted to know what happened to this character from the first book in the series.
Are you able to tell us a little about what you are working on at the moment?
The third in the Strong Sisters series is partly written and is about the third of the original sisters. It features the Cold War. So, three sisters, three times of conflict. However, each book has a strong romantic element and a #feelgood ending.
The first two both won awards. It would be great if this one could too.
I’m also working on a third contemporary women’s fiction novel which is entitled ‘A Bird in the Hand’. The tag line is: . . . but what do you do when you have two, and a third is on the way?
Currently, all things are going in 3s!

You’re holding a dinner party. You’re planning to invite five celebrity guests. They can be living or dead. Who would you choose and why?

Phew! This is hard. OK, in no particular order:
1 James Hilton. He wrote ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’ but my favourite book ever, ever, is also by him and it’s ‘Random Harvest’. It’s a love story but has a magnificent twist in the end. I’d love to simply sit and discuss it.
2 Someone from the Vatican archives. I’m not religious in the doctrine sense, but I bet there’s some secrets in there that would make fascinating reading and even more, excellent material for writing.
3 My granny I’d love to pick her brains about what really happened. My mum used to tell stories but she was a writer and she never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Some of the ‘facts’ she gave me . . .well . . .
4 A comedian who would be lively and funny but not such an egoist as to dominate the gathering. Maybe James Ancaster or Henning Wein??
5 Arthur Neville Chamberlain Really? What were you thinking?

Author bio

Having worked as a head teacher, Ros has been used to writing policy documents, essays and stories to which young children enjoyed listening. Now she has taken up the much greater challenge of writing fiction for adults. She writes both historical sagas and contemporary romance; perfect for lying by a warm summer pool or curling up with on a cosy sofa
Ros is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Historical Novelists’ Society.
She has lived in France for ten years but has moved back to the UK with her husband and dogs. While there she gained much information, which has been of use in her books. Her books are thoroughly and accurately researched.
Ros has two daughters and four grand-daughters with whom she shares many heart-warming activities.
Social media links
http://www.rosrendleauthor.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/RosalindRendleAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/ros_rendle

For one week only Tuesday Talk switches to Thursday and I’m chatting to blogger Rachel Gilbey who has news about a new service she is offering writers…

Good morning Rachel and welcome. Can I start, as always, by asking you a little about yourself?

Good morning Jo, its pleasure to be back on your blog today.
Well my name is Rachel, and I’m a book blogger over at Rachel’s Random Reads. I have always been a huge lover of books and for the past two and a half years I have been able to shout about my love of books to the world (or whoever is paying attention!).
I would love to tell you about my interests in my spare time but I’m laughing at the thought of having any spare time that isn’t taken up with either my new business or my blog. I can say though that if I get a chance to escape the computer I love musical theatre and also going on holidays! I’m also a huge fan of sports and already looking forward to next year where I will be working from home and able to watch as much live World Cup football, and Commonwealth Games action as I can!

As a reviewer you read a huge number of books. What is your favourite genre and who are your favourite authors?

Well my favourite genres that is easy, I love chick lit, romance and women’s fiction as my go to genres. I tend to delve into the darker side of thrillers, psychological thrillers, crime and mystery when I need a break from the lighter hearted books that I tend to favour.
Two years ago when I was last here, you asked me about my favourite authors and my answer is going to be similar again I’m afraid. I can’t name even a top twenty of authors as I am rapidly discovering I have more go to, must read authors than time to fit them all in. I love discovering new favourites, but equally if I spent 2018 only reading releases by authors I already know and love, I probably wouldn’t run out of new reading material!

Have you ever been tempted to become an author?

It is one of those thoughts that has flitted through my mind on occasion but most of the time I come up with the conclusion that I am not talented enough, or imaginative enough to come up with a book. I always struggled with creative writing at school and I prefer to leave it to those far more talented than me.
If I ever did become an author those thoughts have always centred on children’s books, because I assumed they would be easier to write, but my ability at rhyming couplets isn’t that impressive, and I still don’t have any original ideas that haven’t been done before. That and children are probably the toughest audience, to a lot harder to please!

You’re a girl who loves foreign travel and in the past we have been treated to some great holiday shots on social media. Is there anywhere in the world you haven’t been to that you would really love to visit?

Thanks I’m glad you like my holiday pics, and sorry that the next holiday will just be of a pool, as I’ll be relaxing in Fuerteventura over Christmas!
There are plenty of places I would absolutely love to visit – Australia is the big one that jumps to mind, dare I say that I would have to visit the real Ramsay street if I was ever in Melbourne, would love to see Kangaroos and Koalas up close, the Great Barrier reef must be gorgeous too.
Would love to see more of the Far East too, Africa if I ever get around to it I would love to do a safari, and I’ve never been to South America either, in fact I’d love to see more than just Miami in America too. Reading that back I have to wonder where I have been in that case as that is a lot of the world I haven’t visited… right everyone we need to make my new venture (next question) a big success so I can afford some of these great destinations!

Recently you set up a new venture – Rachel’s Random Resources – what sort of service does this offer to authors?

Rachel’s Random Resources is my brand new business offering assorted services to authors to make their lives easier when it comes to publicity of their books, old and new.
I organise blog tours, shorter blog blitzes, 1 day publication day pushes, or Book Birthday Blitzes , to get a real buzz going on your special day, as well as cover reveals, which my growing family of bloggers will be eager to help out with.
I’ve got my Retro Review Vault, which is where I will gain you potential reviewers without them having the pressure of a blog tour, specifically for your back catalogue books, the ones where sales may have dropped off, so getting some fresh interest could be beneficial. This is open for reviewers that just review on Goodreads and Amazon too, to increase the exposure of the book on all the major outlets.
I’m also doing assorted graphic design for social media. This include header graphics for Twitter and Facebook, blog tour banners if you have organised your own, special offer graphics, images with quotes from the book or from your favourite reviews, all to enhance your social media, with a some variety.
Essentially, I am aiming to connect authors with bloggers, do the asking on your behalf, do the organising or graphic design on your behalf, freeing your time up to write the next book!

And lastly, if you had to spend a whole year on a desert island, what would your four ‘must haves’ be and why?

Four must haves?
Well kindle with charger, and electricity I’m counting as one item, as let’s face it if all I was doing was waiting to be rescued from a desert island I may as well finally make a dent in my massive personal TBR, and my kindle has 3G and basic web abilities too, so would be able to vaguely see what is going on in the world!
Sun tan cream – sorry to be boring, but I would burn to a crisp assuming this isn’t an Arctic desert island!
Bottled water – well I wouldn’t want to dehydrate
Lastly well a new sexy man brought to the island each month for me amusement and pleasure – as after a month I would be bored of each one, and it would provide great entertainment for when I’m not reading or sunbathing!
Rachel Gilbey is a keen book enthusiast who has taken things to a new level with her blog tour organising business. She dreams books in her sleep and then looks forward to being able to read them in a spare moment. Her blog keeps her busy in her spare time.
Rachel lives just about still in London, is in her thirties and absolutely hates having to write a bio or about herself, preferring to connect with people on social media and let them see for themselves what she is about!

Links to Rachel’s Random Reads:

Website

Twitter

Links to Rachel’s Random Resources:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

ABOUT THE BOOK:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carol is a writer, feminist and flâneuse. Her home is in beautiful West Wales, a place whose legends and landscape inform her writing. She writes contemporary fiction threaded with elements of magic.
Her second book, SNOW SISTERS, was published on 21 September, 2017 by Honno, the Welsh Women’s Press. It has been chosen by the Welsh Books Council as their October Book of the Month (for independent shops.)
GHOSTBIRD, her first novel, was published in March 2016. The book was chosen as Waterstones Wales and Welsh Independent Bookshops ‘Book Of The Month’ for April 2016. It was longlisted for the Guardian ‘Not the Booker’ prize 2016 and nominated for the Guardian Readers’ Book of the Year 2016.Praise for SNOW SISTERS
“Lovekin’s words soar like the birds, who see everything”
Louise Beech – ‘How To Be Brave’

MY REVIEW:

When I read Carol Lovekin’s first novel Ghostbird, I was absolutely blown away, not only by the magic of the story but also the depth and beauty of the writing.

With Snow Sisters once again it didn’t take long for me to become drawn into yet another wonderfully crafted story. It’s a book to take your time with – there can be absolutely no rushing. Carol is brilliant at weaving the kind of backdrop that bring all five senses into play and makes you feel you are actually there. Gull House on the Welsh coast is a perfect location. Atmospheric and windswept you can almost taste the salt on your tongue and hear the cry of the seabirds.

Carol balances her descriptions well so they never intrude or interrupt the story – they complement it with the characters seamlessly woven in. And what characters!  Grandmother Mared, owner of Gull House is an anchor for twins Verity and Meredith – and a true matriarch. The girls’ mother Allegra, impulsive and self-absorbed –  a mother only when she’s in the mood to play the role. And when she does it’s clear she has a favourite child. I shouldn’t be too harsh though, as we eventually get an insight into her history allowing us to gain a little more understanding of her character.

The twins are different in their characters but close. Their lives – being home taught – brings an inter-dependency, although at times their differences do surface.

The ghost of Angharad who still dwells in Gull House is released when Meredith discovers her sewing basket.  This introduced another dimension to the story. Meredith, as the more receptive of the two, begins to hear voices and soon Verity also becomes involved in the tragic life of this young girl. Part of the power of Carol’s writing is that it’s so easy to suspend belief. And that is exactly what happened here. I became totally wrapped up in the events which took place.  A story so seamlessly woven into the main thread of the book that moving from past to present progressed in an uninterrupted flow.  Snow Sisters is a wonderfully crafted story of life, hope, disappointments, ghosts and snow.  It is magical offering from Carol Lovekin and a definite must read.

My thanks to Honno for inviting me on the Snow Sisters book tour and donating a pre-publication copy of this book.

AN EXTRACT FROM THE SNOW SISTERS:

In the morning, Meredith’s hair was decorated with dusty-winged moths. Delighted, she shook her hair and they fluttered up. ‘Thank you, my lovelies’ she said, ‘now off you go.’ She waved her arms, herded the moths to the window and watched as they disappeared. The voice from her dream hovered in the back of her mind. Pushing it away, Meredith thought perhaps she should try and forget about ghosts and focus on her made-up story. Maybe Verity’s right, and it is all in my head. The echo of half-formed whispers insisted otherwise. She put on the new frock her grandmother had made for her. The material was pale green scattered with daisies, with a full skirt and when she twirled it floated as light as a moth. Standing in the hall behind the half-open kitchen door, she heard Verity talking to Allegra. ‘I picked some more lilac; shall I arrange it for you?’ ‘Well you can try.’ Her mother’s voice had an edge to it. ‘Very nice, although I’m not sure how successful you’ll be. It’s not like you have a natural aptitude for flower arranging is it, darling?’ She laughed as she said the words. Meredith frowned. Why is she always so mean to Verity? She watched her sister fling the flowers onto the table, find a jug and filled it with water. ‘Do it yourself then.’ Verity banged the jug on the table. Water splashed over Allegra’s sketch pad and she snatched it away. ‘For God’s sake, Verity!’ Meredith knew this was the tail end of an earlier argument. Coming into the room she saw the empty gin bottle on the table. Her mother’s face was grey with fatigue. Hung-over, I bet. Allegra scrutinised three tarot cards, placed in a line on the table. ‘Pages,’ she said. ‘Goodness, two of them: pentacles and cups.’ Glancing at the cards Meredith said, ‘Get the fancy gear. And why’s he got a fish in his tankard?’ ‘It’s a cup, darling.’ ‘Looks more like that old tin coffee pot of yours.’ ‘Don’t be silly. The tarot’s—’ ‘Gobbledegook?’ ‘That’s not very nice, is it? The page of cups is sensitive and creative, like you – you’re a Pisces…’ ‘I know I am, so what?’ ‘If you’d let me explain, you’d understand.’ Allegra paused. ‘Two pages – you see? They represent children and news.’ She gave a nervous cough. ‘I hope you two won’t go talking about me behind my back.’ ‘Why would we do that?’ Meredith kept her voice non-committal. ‘I’m joking, you goose.’ Allegra swept up the cards and put them into the velvet bag. ‘But pages… I’m only saying.’ She patted the chair next to her. ‘You look gorgeous in your new frock. That shade of green really suits you.’ Meredith ignored her. ‘Pentacle boy looks a bit more normal. Is he creative too?’ ‘Not particularly. He represents earth.’ ‘Which means he must be very clever indeed because it’s Verity’s sign; she’s a Virgo.’ Meredith watched her sister out of the corner of her eye. Trust me… ‘Meri, it doesn’t matter…’ ‘What was the other one?’ Meredith’s eyes shone like stars in the rain. ‘The Six of Wands.’ ‘Meaning?’ ‘Success, my angel. Success after conflict!’ Seeing her sister wince, Meredith said, ‘Or you could wave the wands and make some kindness?’ Propping her elbow on the table, she caught her chin in her hand. ‘You could make a lot of kindness with six magic wands.’ She regarded her mother with her star eyes and the air in the room held its breath. ‘If you wanted to.’ The words tasted sharp on her tongue. Bitter as pepper and she let them swirl around her mouth. Reaching for the sprigs of lilac, she began placing them in the jug. ‘It’s pretty,’ she said. ‘It was kind of Verity to get it for you, wasn’t it?’ Meredith knew more than her mother guessed, and as if she sensed it, Allegra made for the back door. As she turned, her eyes narrowed and she let them rest on her youngest daughter’s face. ‘You’re such a puzzle sometimes, baby.’ She opened the door. ‘I’m off to the conservatory. See what the muse has in store for me.’ Meredith said nothing. She shifted closer to Verity and the tang of pepper was warm on her tongue.

The Captain’s Daughter
Victoria Cornwall

A gripping historical novel set in Cornwall.
Perfect for fans of Winston Graham’s Poldark, Susan Howatch & Philippa Gregory novels.

Book 2 – Cornish Tales

Beware the strength of a quiet woman.

After a family tragedy, Janey Carhart was forced from her comfortable middle-class life as a captain’s daughter into domestic servitude. Determined to make something of herself, Janey eventually finds work as a lady’s maid at the imposing Bosvenna Manor on the edge of Bodmin Moor, but is soon caught between the two worlds of upstairs and downstairs, and accepted by neither, as she cares for her blind mistress.
Desperately lonely, Janey catches the attention of two men – James Brockenshaw and Daniel Kellow. James is heir to the Bosvenna estate, a man whose eloquent letters to his mother warm Janey’s heart and whose attentions to her when he returns home set her pulse racing. Daniel Kellow is a neighbouring farmer with a dark past and a brooding nature, yet with a magnetism that disturbs Janey. Two men. Who should she choose? Or will fate decide.

PRICE: £2.99
CATEGORY: Historical/Women’s Fiction/Romance/Saga

BOOK LINKS

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Captains-Daughter-Choc-Cornish-Tales-ebook/dp/B075JNYRGG/r

https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/book/the-captains-daughter-choc-lit/id1271370193?mt=11&at=11lNBs

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-captain-s-daughter-13

Choc Lit:
info@choc-lit.com
+44 (0) 1276 27492

MY REVIEW

For me the essence of a good book is one which you can completely immerse yourself in and forget about everything else.  And Victoria Cornwall’s second novel The Captain’s Daughter is just that.

Daughter of a sea captain, Janey Carhart has had a difficult upbringing.  Alone at thirteen after the death of her family she found herself with no alternative but to go into service. Now at twenty she is a newly employed maid to Lady Brockenshaw of Bosvenna Manor.  It is a role she has always wanted, but brings with it alienation and jealousy from some members of the staff there.  Although socially out of her reach, Janey is attracted to James, the Brockenshaw’s only son.  He’s handsome, educated and charming – the perfect gentleman.  Daniel Kellow, a local farmer, has taken an interest in Janey. Not only does he unsettle her with his familiarity, she is aware of the rumours that surround him. The locals believe he may have been involved in the accident years ago that killed his employer Zachariah Trebilock – one which gained him ownership of the farm.  And that’s it…no more spoilers other than to say it’s a plot, full of twists, turns and surprises.

I love historical romantic fiction and have to confess I was hooked from page one.  It was difficult to put down and I really resented having to stop when other ‘must do’ things intruded. Janey is a great heroine; competent, determined and sensible except, it appears, where affairs of the heart are concerned.  Daniel is a gorgeous hero – but then I’ve never been able to resist handsome dark eyed men – and blond charismatic James?…well you’ll just have to read the book to find out how  both these men influence Janey’s future.  A very worthy five star read….

I would like to thank Choc Lit for an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review…

ABOUT VICTORIA CORNWALL

Victoria Cornwall can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. This background and heritage has given her an understanding and knowledge of Cornish rural life, which is the inspiration for her writing.
Following a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse, a change in profession finally allowed her time to write in her favourite genre – historical romance.

She is married with two grown up children. The Captain’s Daughter is the second novel in her Cornish Tales series.

Catch up with Victoria on Social Media:

https://twitter.com/VickieCornwall

http://http//victoriacornwall.com/

https://www.facebook.com/victoria.cornwall.75

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16069968.Victoria_Cornwall