Category: Writing

Hi Jo, here are my tracks and the memories they hold for me.

When I was very young, my mother and I went to live with my maternal grandparents and two teenage uncles (Joseph 20 and Tommy 18) who spoiled me rotten and encouraged me to be precocious. NOT that I needed much encouragement. The house was filled with music, my uncles having bought a large radiogram with wages earned working in the local steel mill. They played their 78’s whenever they could, which meant I knew the words to all the latest songs and they taught me how to jive, twist etc. Later, when we moved house to England, my family’s love of popular music continued (via the radio). We listened to Music While You Work, Children’s Favourites, Sing Something Simple, Two Way Family Favourites and ground-breaking Radio Caroline. As a teenager I fell asleep listening to Radio Luxembourg via an earpiece attached to my prized transistor radio. When Radio One was launched in 1967 it was as important to teenagers, like me, as a man walking on the moon two years later.

Fast forward to listening to Radio One on the drive home from work, the transition from cassette tapes to CD’s and finally, downloading music on my iPhone. Small wonder music has provided the backing track to all our lives.

 

Here are five of my favourites –  click on each title to activate the video

California Dreaming Mammas and Papas

I only have to hear the opening chords of this song and I am transported back to 1967 when the hippy movement reached Leicester. I had just taken my ‘O’ levels and at the start of the summer holidays my friend Brenda Harris and I bought a bag of budgie bells from the local pet shop (much to the shop keeper’s suspicion). We sewed them on the outside seam of our bellbottom jeans, found a couple of floppy hats and ‘granny clothes’ at jumble sales and put together a ‘hippy kit’. Then we joined all the other wannabes on Victoria Park in search of the much promised Happening, which never materialised. Instead, we ended up in mega trouble for chalking – MAKE LOVE, NOT WAR on a neighbour’s garage door, after which the Summer of Love ended abruptly for us.

Sguaban Arbhair – Runrig

I often ‘stumble across’ music and this is how I found Runrig. I was watching TV and saw the group perform at Glasgow Barrowlands and was blown away, When I was a child we would often go to the ‘Barras’ a couple of times a year on shopping expeditions.  That memory, coupled with Runrig’s fusion of folk, Gaelic and rock music tapped into a part of me I’d forgotten existed; my Scottishness. When Runrig came to Leicester I went to see them in concert and bought several CD’s afterwards. There I found the track Sguaban Arbhair – Sheaves of Corn. It tells how the old ways of crofting and living off the land have vanished as young people head for the cities. It’s my go-to song when I want to get into the mood for writing. In Scotch on the Rocks, my heroine Ishabel sings it at a live mike session in the local pub and the hero falls in love with her. When I listen to it, I’m transported to Eilean na Sgairbh, the imaginary Cormorant Island where I set my novel.

Ship to Shore – Chris de Burgh

Lady in Red (now sadly cliched) brought Chris de Burgh to my attention. And, of course, I had to listen to his back catalogue (first on vinyl and then on CD). I found Ship to Shore and it raised my spirits at a difficult time. My mother had recently died of cancer, I underwent a hysterectomy, we moved house twice in two and a half years and I was acting head at a large primary school of over 350 children. It became an anthem for me, the backdrop to a time when I wanted to get stuck into my writing but was forced to put my dream on hold. The line: how I wish that we could turn the clock back to the time when we were lovers, in the true sense of the meaning, inspired me to go for gold and achieve my dream. In fact, all of the lyrics have a resonance for me. I only have to hear the Morse code ‘pips’ at the beginning of the song and I’m transported back to when I saw Chris de Burgh at the NEC. A time before word processors, the internet, and Amazon made becoming a published author an attainable dream for thousands of indie authors.

Someone Like You – Adele

I discovered Adele much in the same way as Runrig. A friend had been banging on about her for months and I put my fingers in my ears and refused to listen. Stubborn, see? Then I caught Adele’s concert at the Albert Hall on TV, heard her sing Someone Like You and Don’t You Remember? and was hooked. Something in her lyrics – which come straight from her heart, the key she sang in, and her performance found an answering chord in me. Overall, I’ve had a good life and a very happy marriage. So, I have to dig deep when writing a sad/emotional scenes and Adele takes me there in seconds. So – that evening, once I’d stopped blubbing like a baby in front of the TV, I went straight on to Amazon and ordered ‘21’. It’s remained a favourite ever since.

Downbound Train – Bruce Springsteen

In the 90’s we went to America, travelling from Washington DC to Memphis, thru Iowa and up to Door County. We stayed with my former teaching student and when we caught the plane back to the UK, she gave me Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. In return, I promised that I would write a romance set in Wisconsin, bringing together everything we’d experienced over five magical weeks. Once home, I played the album while preparing for returning to school after the long holiday. However, influenced by Jilly Cooper, Helen Fielding et al I put notes for my ‘American novel’ to one side and started writing a rom com instead: Tall, Dark and Kilted. But I never forgot my promise and recently returned to the MS, re-writing and publishing it as Take Me, I’m Yours, dedicating it to Dee Paulsen and her family. Apart from the anthemic Born in the USA, my favourite track is Downbound Train. Every time I play it, I’m back in Dee’s Aunt Bev’s house in Memphis sweltering in 100 degrees in the shade as we rush from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car. Now I know that I don’t have a pioneering bone in my body and would never convincingly play the part of a woman having a baby in the back of a wagon.

• You can find all novels (downloads and paperbacks) here:  viewAuthor.at/LizzieLamb

 

• If you would like to read an extract, download or share about Take Me, I’m Yours, click here

 

ABOUT LIZZIE

After working as a deputy head teacher in a large primary school, Lizzie decided to pursue her first love: writing. She joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, wrote Tall, Dark and Kilted (2012), quickly followed by Boot Camp Bride. Although much of her time is taken promoting her novels she wrote Scotch on the Rocks, which achieved Best Seller status within two weeks of publication on Amazon. Her next novel, Girl in the Castle, reached #3 in the Amazon charts. Lizzie is co-founder of indie publishing group – New Romantics Press, and has co-hosted author events at Aspinall, St Pancras and Waterstones, Kensington. Her latest romance, Take Me, I’m Yours is set in Wisconsin, achieved Best Seller status, too. As for the years she spent as a teacher, they haven’t quite gone to waste as she is building up a reputation as a go-to speaker on indie publishing. Lizzie lives in Leicestershire (UK) with her husband, David.

 

Links –

 

Amazon author page: viewAuthor.at/LizzieLamb

www.facebook.com/LizzieLambwriter

lizzielambwriter@gmail.com

website: www.lizzielamb.co.uk

blog: www.newromanticspress.com

Linked in: uk.linkedin.com/pub/lizzie-lamb/18/194/202/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6577099.Lizzie_Lamb

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lizzielamb/

https://twitter.com/lizzie_lamb

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzielambwriter/

 

 

TAKE ME, I’M YOURS

India Buchanan plans to set up an English-Style bed and breakfast establishment in her great-aunt’s home, MacFarlane’s Landing, Wisconsin. But she’s reckoned without opposition from Logan MacFarlane whose family once owned her aunt’s house and now want it back. MacFarlane is in no mood to be denied. His grandfather’s living on borrowed time and Logan has vowed to ensure the old man sees out his days in their former home. India’s great-aunt has other ideas and has threatened to burn the house to the ground before she lets a MacFarlane set foot in it. There’s a story here. One the family elders aren’t prepared to share. When India finds herself in Logan’s debt, her feelings towards him change. However, the past casts a long shadow and events conspire to deny them the love and happiness they both deserve. Can India and Logan’s love overcome all odds? Or is history about to repeat itself?

 

If you would like to come along, promote your work and choose five music tracks which are special to you, simply drop me an e-mail me at taurusgirl185@gmail.com

 

WESTBURY

Can Miss Georgina Morton surrender her independence and accept the Duke’s love?

Miss Georgina Morton, at the age of four-and-twenty, with a modest annual income of four hundred pounds, believes she has no need of a husband and can manage quite nicely without one. Yet within a matter of weeks, she’s betrothed to Giles Glentworth, the Sixth Duke of Westbury, and bound for Regency London.
Set in rural Wiltshire and elegant, fast-paced London…a runaway ward, a shooting at mid-night, and a visit to fashionable Almack’s, are only a few of the adventures Georgina enjoys while falling for the Corinthian charms of the Duke.

Westbury – Ballrooms, Cotillions and Almack’s

Available from:
Amazon Universal: http://bit.ly/2TAndcI
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2DbG1Ie
Barnes & Noble – Nook: http://bit.ly/2RHldOb
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2GaHUJe
And other main ebook retailers.

 

About Arabella Sheen

Arabella Sheen is a British author of Contemporary and Regency romance novels.
Born in Mortimer House, a Grade II listed Georgian building in the heart of Clifton Village, Bristol, Arabella believes that having grown up with surroundings and architecture steeped in the historical culture of the 1800’s, she was destined to write about a subject she loves deeply, the Regency era.
One of the many things Arabella has a passion for is reading. And when she’s not researching or writing about romance, she is either on her allotment sowing and planting with the seasons, or she is curled on the sofa while pandering to the demands of her attention-seeking cat.
Having worked and lived in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands for nearly twenty years as a theatre nurse, she now lives in the southwest of England with her family.

Arabella keeps in touch with her readers on:
Website: http://www.arabellasheen.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArabellaSheenAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArabellaSheen

 

 

Hello everyone, and thanks Jo for asking me to contribute my 5 life tracks. To say this was difficult if not near impossible is an understatement. Both personally and professionally I’ve worked with music all my life and I’ve really had to dig deep to find just 5 tracks which are special to me. I could easily have offered up 500 plus. Compiling this has taken longer that writing a short story.
I won’t list the songs my husband has recorded (always favourites) or those written for me because they are personal in a private way, but one song he used to sing to me when we were first together is ‘Never My Love,’ recorded by the amazing Association in 1967 – the year before we met – and was written by the Addrisi brothers and produced by Bones Howe.
The lyrics kept us going when we were apart – which was often when he was touring – and happened all the time when we were managing artists. The lyrics bring tears to my eyes now – 51 years later. Considering we are both rock addicts this might surprise some, however we both are heavily into harmonies and The Association are known for their vocal harmonies.

Despite some of my choices my first love is rock and I couldn’t miss including one of the best hard rock songs ever, written and performed by one of the most iconic vocalists alive – Paul Rodgers – who sang with so many others later, including Bad Company (oh I could have added one of their songs), The Firm, The Law and of course Queen for a while.
‘All Right Now,’ by the fabulous Free (1970) and with the amazing – sadly late – Paul Kossoff on guitar. Written by 16 year old Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers, and produced by Free, it is one of the most successful records ever played on radio with millions of air-plays registered world-wide.
If I’d ever had a ‘traditional’ wedding – all the stuff and nonsense that goes with it – I guess this song would have been played at it. As it is I didn’t have a ‘traditional wedding’ and there wasn’t any music at all, which is odd considering I married a musician, but hey, since when did musicians do ‘traditional?’

The Beatles were so influential and so much a part of my youth that I can’t think of a time when their songs were not the soundtrack to something. However, George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord,’ has a special meaning for me (and my husband) as we are both convinced our son was conceived when it was playing! I’d given him the triple album boxed set (vinyl) of ‘All Things Must Pass,’ for his 21st birthday and it was usually on a loop on the cassette tape recorder in the early hours of the morning, when he got in from gigs. We are not religious so I can’t say that it has deep religious meaning, but it is a beautiful song. It is part of a Hindu mantra and a Christian call to faith; Halleluiah. It was written by George Harrison and produced by him and the massively talented and now sadly notorious, Phil Spector, in 1970. It was the biggest selling single of 1971 in the UK.

‘Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes,’ Edison Lighthouse 1969 – written by master songwriters and record producers, Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason, reaching #1 in the UK and #10 in the USA and Japan etc., selling a million records. I wish I could elaborate on this more other than to say that the song was pre-recorded by Tony and Barry with session singer Tony Burrows, and the search was on for a band to ‘front’ it for Top of The Pops. My husband’s band was considered initially because the producers and song writers were involved with his band briefly, but Edison Lighthouse were pop and husband’s band were not. A band called Greenfield Hammer went on to flesh out Edison Lighthouse. Even though the song was a massive hit I am not sure the musicians made anything from it. I have no idea.
Memories of the late 1960s come flooding back whenever I hear it, mostly because any musicians in EL (each) would have had a fixed weekly wage of about £25 (in 1969) in return for ‘fronting’ the song, which for a starving band back then would have been very welcome at times. The lead singer Tony Burrows went on to front too many bands to list and was the only singer at the time to have performed with 5 hit bands on TOTP. Google his name and the penny will drop. The band was a ‘one hit wonder,’ sadly for them, but not for us!
Here is Tony chatting about how he came to sing on Love Grows.

Here is Tony with Edison Lighthouse on Top of the Pops

I couldn’t compile this without reference to the amazing, iconic, rock singer, Graham Bonnet, whose hit single (1968) with the Marbles, ‘Only One Woman,’ is also the title of my co-authored novel with Christina Jones, for which he kindly wrote the foreword. ‘Only One Woman’ was written for him and his cousin, the late Trevor Gordon, by The Bee Gees.
However, I am not going to include it, even though it has a special meaning for me, but I am sure those who are interested will find links on our OOW Facebook Page.
Instead I am including ‘Since You Been Gone,’ sung by Graham when he was with the equally iconic rock band, Rainbow. The song was written by Russ Ballard, at the time lead guitarist with another legendary rock band, Argent,’ in 1976, and which was produced by Roger Glover, bass player with Rainbow and Deep Purple. Rainbow released it in 1979 on their album ‘Down To Earth.’
Rod Argent was a friend of my husband’s band back in the late 1960s and came to several gigs where I met him too. This song reminds me of so many events in the late 1970s – which won’t go into – but one memory is of our son at age 7 singing his head off to this in the back of the car as we travelled around, and 40 years later he is still a rock fan and enjoys the music of the many of the same bands as we do.

It has been so hard pruning this list to just 5 songs. So many have been memorable as I’ve said, especially those songs we have been involved with over the years, or songs which were hits for superstar performers when we were working with their songwriters or producers at around the same time as their records were hits. So many memories. So little space! Jo, thanks again for asking me to do this. I have driven myself nuts with all these songs going through my head ever since.

 

Only One Woman – Accent Press Ltd – Christina Jones Jane Risdon

Set in the UK music scene of the late 1960s and filled with musical and fashion references, as well the world events and the social changes shaping the lives of our three main characters, Only One Woman is not only a love triangle, but a nostalgic trip back to the grooviest decade ever, in the coolest country on the planet. Experience the lives of Renza and Stella through their diaries:
Hello – we are Renza Rossi and Stella Deacon, and like most girls in the 1960s we kept diaries. Proper written diaries – with daily entries from 1968 through to the end of the decade, chronicling our life, the fashions, the music, the excitement – and our love affairs…. Which, is just as well – because although we didn’t know it, and we certainly didn’t know each other, miles apart geographically and with totally different lifestyles, we were both in love with the same boy…
How this came about, the ups and downs, the laughter, the tears, the heartbreak, and how it was resolved – all played out to a 1960s background of love and peace and rock’n’roll – is covered in the amalgamation of our diaries – which we’ve put together and called ONLY ONE WOMAN.

ABOUT JANE

Jane Risdon writes mostly crime thrillers often set in the music business with an organised crime or espionage element. Her former career in the international music business managing songwriters, singers, musicians, and record producers, enables her to draw upon her experiences in Hollywood, SE Asia, and elsewhere for many of her plots.
She is also the author of short stories many of which have been included in 15 anthologies to date and she also contributes articles for online magazines and newsletters. She enjoys writing flash fiction.
In January 2019 Jane published her first collection of short stories – Undercover: Crime Shorts – via Plaisted Publishing House.
Jane is married to a musician and with author Christina Jones has co-authored Only One Woman, set in the UK Music Scene of the late 1960s. Jane has drawn upon her experience married to a musician and her subsequent career in the music business for background research.
Jane’s Links:
Jane’s Amazon Author Page with most of her books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00I3GJ2Y8
Author Blog: https://janerisdon.wordpress.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JaneRisdon2/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jane_Risdon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janerisdonwriter/
Only One Woman:
https://www.facebook.com/RenzandStella/
https://books2read.com/u/mlegkP
Waterstones Paperback: ISBN: 9781783757329

 

As I’ve planned for Life Playlists to air every fortnight – with a few exceptions – I thought I’d use those in between weeks to showcase different music decades, starting with the Sixties.  Today I’m choosing five tracks which are particular favourites.  I have to own up to never being a fan of either Elvis Presley or Cliff Richard although when Alan Tarney wrote for him in the late 1970s I did buy a couple of albums (I’m Nearly Famous and I’m No Hero) which I still have.  As the sixties progressed and the Beatles arrived the music scene exploded with new bands.  So much choice, too much in fact.  Because of this it’s been an incredibly difficult decision to make, but here they are…

 

TRACK ONE

My first choice is This Wheel’s On Fire which most people will recognise as the signature tune for Absolutely Fabulous. Co-written by Bob Dylan it was a hit in 1968, getting to No 5 in the UK singles charts and featured Julie Driscoll and the Brian Auger Trinity. In the early 1990s she collaborated with Adrian Edmonson, Jennifer Saunder’s husband and Ab Fab made the song its own.

 

 

TRACK TWO

The Turtles Happy Together featured right at the end of the last episode of Cold Feet this week.  Funny how you forget songs and then they pop up on TV and you’re back there with all those great memories once more.

 

TRACK THREE

Choice number three is Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart.  Originally a  hit in 1967 when it got to number five in the charts.  It was re-released in 1989 with Marc Almond dueting with Gene.  Despite being a huge star in the 1960s, this was Gene’s first number one.

 

TRACK FOUR

Well my sixties choices wouldn’t be complete without something from Motown. No dance or disco was complete unless Motown tracks were played. It was great dance music. And what a choice. So many stars – The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, The Isley Brothers to name but a few. However in the end I decided on The Four Tops with Walk Away Renee. Lead singer Levi Stubbs had the most amazingly effortless voice…still gives me goose bumps.

 

 

TRACK FIVE

And finally. I always find the last is the most difficult to choose. However, in the end I decided it had to be a Beatles track and it had to be something upbeat.  Got to Get You into my Life seemed a great choice. Written, rumour has it, with Yoko Ono in mind it was also covered by Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers in 1966, where it reached number 6 in the UK charts.

 

So that’s it from me for the time being.  Next Tuesday the 26th February writer Jane Risdon will be choosing her favourite five tracks.  With her background in the music business she’s bound to have some interesting choices.  So don’t miss it.

If anyone would like to come along, promote their work, choose five music tracks and give the reasons behind those choices then simply e-mail me at taurusgirl185@gmail.com and I’ll give you all the details.

Best wishes

 

Jo

 

Spring at Taigh Fallon (Choc Lit) (Tempest Sisters Book 2)  

When Angel Tempest finds out that her best friend Zac has inherited a Scottish mansion, Taigh Fallon, from his great aunt, she immediately offers to go and visit it with him. It will mean closing up her jet jewellery shop in Whitby for a few days but the prospect of a spring trip to the Scottish Highlands is too tempting.

Then Kyle, Zac’s estranged and slightly grumpy Canadian cousin, unexpectedly turns up at Taigh Fallon, and events take a strange turn as the long-kept secrets of the old house begin to reveal themselves …

BUY LINKS

Apple Books: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/book/spring-at-taigh-fallon/id1447108914?mt=11&at=11lNBs

 

MY REVIEW

Time slip isn’t my usual read but I have to say I always enjoy Kirsty Ferry’s books.  Spring at Taigh Fallon which is the second of the Tempest sister’s novels sees Angel Tempest following her friend Zac Fallon to Scotland to see the house in the Cairngorms his great aunt has left him. This imposing old mansion set on the side of a lake in the Scottish Highlands provides a beautiful and atmospheric setting to the story.

The will has provided for the house to be divided between Zac and his cousin Kyle, who currently lives in Canada.  Zac’s memories of his older cousin Kyle are less than favourable. When he arrives in the middle of the night, grumpy and complaining it certainly seems time hasn’t changed him.

Immediately sparks begin to fly between brooding hero Kyle and feisty heroine Angel, but is this really all about dislike? Or is there something else simmering between the two of them?  Then there’s the tower room which Angel discovers. Sensitive to spirits, she soon finds herself witnessing scenes of a Victorian tragedy which is connected to the house.

A great read. Highly recommended.

Please note although Spring at Taigh Fallon is part of a series, it can be read as an independent story.

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

About the Author

Kirsty is from the North East of England and won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 with the ghostly tale ‘Enchantment’.

Her timeslip novel, ‘Some Veil Did Fall’, a paranormal romance set in Whitby, was published by Choc Lit in Autumn 2014. This was followed by another Choc Lit timeslip, ‘The Girl in the Painting’ in February 2016. ‘The Girl in the Photograph’, published in March 2017, completes the Rossetti Mysteries series. The experience of signing ‘Some Veil Did Fall’ in a quirky bookshop in the midst of Goth Weekend in Whitby, dressed as a recently undead person was one of the highlights of her writing career so far!

Kirsty’s first timeslip novel ‘The Memory of Snow’, commended in the Northern Writers’ Awards, is set on Hadrian’s Wall, with the vampire tale ‘Refuge’ set on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. She has also put together a collection of short stories, a non-fiction collection of articles and writes Gothic Fiction under the pen name Cathryn Ramsay.

Kirsty has had articles and short stories published in Your Cat, Peoples Friend, Ghost Voices, The Weekly News and It’s Fate, and her short stories appear in several anthologies. She was a judge in the Paws ‘n’ Claws ‘Wild and Free’ Children’s Story competition in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and graduated from Northumbria University in December 2016, having achieved a Masters with Distinction in Creative Writing.

You can find out more about Kirsty and her work at http://www.rosethornpress.co.uk, catch her on her Facebook AuthorPage, follow her on Twitter @kirsty_ferry or pop by her blog at http://www.rosethornramblings.wordpress.com.

When you open up your home and your heart …

Rowan Forrester has it all – the happy marriage, the adorable dog, the good friends, the promising business and even the dream home after she and her husband Tom win a stunning but slightly dilapidated Georgian townhouse in London at auction.

But in the blink of an eye, Rowan’s picture-perfect life comes crashing down around her and she is faced with the prospect of having to start again.

To make ends meet she begins a search for housemates, and in doing so opens the door to new friends and new beginnings. But could she be opening the door to new heartbreak too?

BUY LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnolia-House-Choc-Lit-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B07KW5TTJC/

ITunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/book/magnolia-house-choc-lit/id1444607694?mt=11&at=11lNBs

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/magnolia-house-choc-lit

Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Angela_Barton_Magnolia_House?id=fS-DDwAAQBAJ

Website: https://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/magnolia-house/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42969186-magnolia-house-choc-lit

MY REVIEW

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of Magnolia House, Angela Barton’s latest novel from Choc Lit Ruby.  I’d read Arlette’s Story and loved it but realised this was going to be completely different.  Magnolia House is set in modern day London.  Tom and Rowan Forrester have purchased a dilapidated Georgian town house near Clapham Common which they have completely renovated.  Tom has a thriving photographic business and Rowan makes jewellery.  Relocating from Cheshire with their spaniel Jet they look forward to settling into their new home and having Tom’s sister Libby and husband David as close neighbours. Rowan dreams of starting a family, but in the blink of an eye, everything she holds dear is ripped away from her.

I was rooting for Rowan all the way.  She’s a strong character and needs to be after going through such overwhelming life changing experiences. Although sister in law Libby is there for her, she has her own problems and a marriage spiralling out of control. When Magnolia House is turned into three flats, Rowan takes on two tenants:  Mason ‘call me Ace’  – an outrageously camp character who runs a vintage clothing store and loves colourful designer clothes – and Nora. Nora is a part time model and single mum to toddler Primrose.

I’m not going into any more detail, only to say there’s a huge range of emotions here: love, humour, betrayal , deception with some suspense stirred into the mix.  I mentioned love? Well that comes in the form of Ace’s younger brother James, newly returned from America and staying with him for a while.  As we know the course of love has a reputation for being bumpy and just as Rowan begins to form an attachment to James, in walks his ex- Helen who makes no bones about wanting him back.  And as for suspense, who is the anonymous person sending cryptic messages to Rowan through the post, and why?

The characters are well written and the story pulls you in right from the beginning – in fact at times I honestly felt quite frustrated having to leave my Kindle to do other things.  The settings were vividly brought to life too, whether I was  dog walking on Clapham Common with Jet or wandering through a French market with Rowan during her holiday with her parents.  

Recommended.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She is married with three grown up children and adorable four-year-old twin granddaughters. Angela is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching facts for her novels. Having signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels with Choc Lit’s new imprint, Ruby Fiction, Angela is excited to be working alongside such a lovely team.

Angela and her husband, Paul, recently moved to France and planted a lavender field. She’s looking forward to spending more time writing in the beautiful Charente countryside working from her new writing room, a beautiful shepherd hut. Angela is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Nottingham Writers’ Studio.

 

BUY LINKS

 

MY REVIEW

Well known for her historical and contemporary novels, The Final Reckoning is a completely new direction for author Margaret James as she delivers her first thriller.

Central character Lindsay Ellis is returning to her home village of Hartley Cross after an absence of eight years. Her mother has died and she is there to organise the funeral and sort out the estate. The last time she was here as an eighteen year old she discovered the dead body of Louis Dyer, father of her then boyfriend Simon. After Simon’s arrest she was sent away to live with her father, who had recently divorced her mother.

Reminders of that long ago time when she and Simon were inseparable tug at her memory.  Acquitted of his father’s murder he now lives in the village where he runs a small antiques business.  Their relationship was an intense one. Is there any chance when they meet again some spark still remains after all this time?

Lindsay arrives with Nick Singer, an astrophysicist with whom she house shares in Oxford. As her own car is out of action he has offered to run her here and stay for a while.  Settling in she begins to make arrangements for the funeral. As she reacquaints herself with the villagers unanswered questions still remain. Who did murder Louis Dyer and why?

There is an incident after the burial which at first Lindsay doesn’t pay much attention to.  However when others occur she realises someone in the village doesn’t like the fact she’s back and wants her gone. But who exactly, and what is their motive?

I particularly liked Nick. Dis-organised and chaotic he came over as a typical scientist, totally committed to his work with little time for mundane things like washing up and keeping the place tidy. I think despite the fact they were total opposites Lindsay had a soft spot for him right from the beginning and it was interesting to see how their relationship developed.

The Casson family, whose bible bashing father was Louis Dyer’s best friend, are also central to the story. Among them the beautiful Jael, married but possibly having an affair with Simon.  Nathan, quiet and surly, a close friend of Lindsay’s and Simon’s during their teenage years.  Jael’s beautiful home is filled with expensive things. How has this been achieved when her husband works in an abattoir? Lindsay soon realises there are many things about this family that don’t quite add up.

This story keeps you guessing all the way. It’s well balanced between past and present so you have all the information you need about what led up to Louis Dyer’s demise.  As the book progressed and I got to know the villagers it seemed clear that more than one person had motive for Louis’s murder and for targeting Lindsay.   A great entertaining read with some unexpected twists.

Thank you Choc Lit for an ARC copy of The Final Reckoning in exchange for an honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Story

What if all our lives were mapped out before birth? Does anyone have the power to change our destiny?

Ella hates London. She misses her old life in Spain and is struggling to get over her past—until she meets Zac. He’s always loved her but isn’t meant to be part of her story. Not this time. Not ever. Little does she know that his secret is the one thing that will tear them apart and force her to live in a world that no longer makes sense. A world full of danger, lies and magic.

The Path Keeper is a passionate tale of first loves, second chances and the invisible threads that bind us. Can love ever be stronger than fate?

The Author

Natali Drake, who writes under the pen name of N.J. Simmonds, is an accredited member of the Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. When she’s not busy working on her YA fantasy romance series she is also a freelance writer and brand consultant. She has written articles for various UK newspapers and online publications with two of her essays appearing in The Mother Book published by Selfish Mother. In 2015 she co-founded the online magazine The Glass House Girls A littleand is a regular contributor.

Originally from north London, Natali studied Feature Writing at City University and began her career in corporate publishing and marketing before moving to Spain to write, and to raise her family. She now divides her time between her two homes in the Netherlands and Spain with her husband and two daughters.

• 

• 

This time last year there were half a dozen milestone birthday bashes to look forward to, a week in Menorca followed by a week in the South of France. I had just completed The Boys of Summer and was about to submit to a publisher. I looked at the year ahead with optimism. Okay life’s not perfect but you have to take the good with the bad and there was a lot off good stuff going on that year.

Sometimes I think it’s just as well we can’t see the future, although in my case, if I had maybe I wouldn’t have landed up in a situation that intruded on most of 2018: my broken ankle. As my consultant’s registrar said, pulling no punches ‘You’ve done the worst possible thing you could to your ankle.’ I’d broken it in not one, or two but three places, resulting in having to have it permanently pinned and plated. And all this because I missed the bottom step on a staircase!

Five individual plasters (I was most upset that OH wouldn’t entertain the thought of me have a pink or blue one), a horribly itchy orthopaedic boot and a walking stick later, I’m well down the road to being back to normal. As soon as this happened to me, that was my goal. I brushed aside all those who very kindly said I could buy one of those ‘pretty collapsible walking sticks’ to keep in my handbag – sorry that wasn’t about to happen! As far as I was concerned the end of my journey was going to see me walking normally. And happily it has.

Getting rid of the stick by early September was the start of yet another phase. Although my right leg was much stronger after being incarcerated in plaster for six weeks, I now became faced with an issue I hadn’t even thought of – balance. At times I felt like a toddler taking their first few steps: wobbly and unsure. I could not believe my balance had been affected so much, but it had. Gradually, however, with daily walks, I gained the confidence which brought me back to normal mobility. The downside was while out walking I had to keep making stops as the ankle would start aching if I did too much. At the same time I knew I had to keep pushing myself to get the joint working properly. No gain without pain!

It’s crazy to say this but when I actually managed a trip into town for the first time on the local bus, I felt I’d achieved so much. It was yet another big milestone to getting back to the life I’d had before the accident. Seven months on I’m continuing to put the ankle through daily physio exercises. Yes it still aches occasionally and first thing in the morning the muscles have to be ‘woken up’. I’m doing regular walks and have joined a gym. Now it’s all about maintaining these routines, keeping positive…oh and watching where I put my feet in future!

Best wishes

Jo