Women

#BookReview – End of Story by @LouiseWriter Published by @HodderBooks Hodder & Stoughton

/ Eva Jordan / 1 Comment

“You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.” –Margaret Atwood

Imagine a world where bookshops sell nothing but biographies and factual books. A world where not only is writing fiction banned, but reading it is forbidden too, even as bedtime stories to children, and to do so means breaking the law, which in turn equates to consequences. Devastating consequences in some instances. 

This is the nightmare world of End of Story. 

Set in the year 2035, this dystopian novel centres around Fern Dostoy, a former writer. From the outset it’s obvious she is grieving, and why wouldn’t she be. Once an award winning, critically acclaimed author, Fern is now regarded, since writing fiction is banned, as a criminal. Socially isolated, she earns her living as a hospital cleaner. However, a covert meeting with a friend and former writer leads her to a secret group, which she becomes a member of, reading bedtime stories to children via a banned phoneline. One regular caller, a boy called Hunter, captures her heart. Sadly though, for Fern, government officials are closing in on her. 

When I heard about this book, which is released later this week, I was intrigued, both by the blurb and the book’s striking cover. However, having read several books by the author under her other pen name, Louise Beech, I was also slightly apprehensive. Yes, her books are, as the author herself says, genre fluid, but a dystopian novel seemed like a huge leap. Could she pull it off, I wondered. I had nothing to worry about. Making clever use of embedded narrative, or a story within a story, End of Story is a taut thriller with characters that are both heartbreakingly, and in some instances frighteningly real, and the twist at the end left me bereft, if not a little relieved. A remarkable, thought-provoking story that will stay with me for a long time.

Eva Jordan in conversation with historical novelist @rebeccamascull #MollieWalton #authorinterviews #Author #Writer #Writerslife

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Earlier this month I posted my review of the beautifully written, The Orphan of Ironbridge by the lovely Mollie Walton, otherwise known as Rebecca Mascull. Rebecca writes historical fiction and kindly agreed to do a Q&A with me.

Hi Rebecca, welcome, and thanks for chatting to me. Can you tell everyone a bit about yourself?

Hello! I’m an historical novelist and I write under two names: literary fiction as Mascull and saga fiction as Walton. I got my first publishing contract in 2012 and I’m editing Book 10 right now. I’m also a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund, where I work with students on their academic writing at the University of Lincoln. I live by the sea in the east of England with my daughter and our cat. My partner is a French pastry chef, which means I also need to go to the gym regularly, or I’d be the size of a house.

Why do you write historical fiction, and if you haven’t already, would you ever consider writing in another genre?

Funnily enough, I wasn’t keen on history at school but I think this was down to the rather dull curriculum and not very inspiring teaching, perhaps. Since then, I became interested in history largely through movies, documentaries and novels. What’s fascinating to me is the contrast between how different it was to live in other times and yet also how similar people are throughout history. Some human characteristics remain the same, whatever age you live in. I love to look for those contrasts in my own writing, where we, as modern readers, can enjoy insights into the quirky ways of life that have gone and also recognise ourselves in people from the past. I definitely would love to write in other genres, as I read widely and enjoy all sorts of stories. In fact, right now, I’m trying out some planning for books in another genre as a bit of an experiment, but I can’t talk about it as it’s a secret…Shhhhh…

When carrying out research for your books, how important is it for you to physically visit places, buildings, and locations that inspire your stories?

It’s actually been very important to me from the beginning. For my first novel The Visitors, the main character lives on a Kent hop farm, so I visited one myself. My character was deaf and blind, so as I walked along the rows of hop bines, I reached out with my eyes closed and touched the young shoots of growth on the bines, to find that the stems were sticky and the shoots were so soft. If I’d never visited, I’d never have known that telling little detail and I think it’s such things that bring novels to life. Also I think that you get the feel of the soul of a place if you visit it, the specific atmosphere of it, which I definitely found when I stood on the bridge at Ironbridge and looked down the river Severn, imagining how it would’ve looked during the industrial revolution. I also try similar experiences as my characters, if I can. For example, when working on The Secrets of Ironbridge, which is partly about a strike at a brickyard, I met with a Shropshire brickmaker and actually made my own brick by hand. Also, I was able to fly in a light aircraft while I was writing The Wild Air. Both experiences gave me a hands-on knowledge of what I was writing about which improved the story no end. When I came back from flying, I rewrote all my flying scenes as they were all wrong. I had no idea of the fear of flying in a small aircraft or the joy that soon replaced it. It is worth saying, though, that such travels and experiences are not always possible and in that case, writers must use effective research and imagination to replace direct experience. As a single mum, I can’t afford to gallivant all over the world for research trips! And that’s fine too. Writers must do their best with the resources available to them.

And finally, what advice would you offer anyone thinking of becoming a writer?

I think the main characteristic that writers need is perseverance. As my very wise agent once said to me, Publishing is a long game. There will be many rejections and negative feedback along the way and writers need to develop an inner resilience. If I’d given up at each hurdle, I wouldn’t be making my living as a novelist today. Like many self-employed jobs, there’s no guarantees and it’s not an easy way to get by. My experience has been that developing a portfolio way of working is the best way to make a living in the writing world i.e. having a range of revenue streams. For example, writing under two names has enabled me to reach two different audiences. The writing world is a business and if you want to make a living out of writing you have to remember that. It’s not helped by the media perpetuating a myth that writers are all rich. I see this so often in movies and TV dramas featuring writers, with their summer houses by lakes and attending swanky parties all the time! The truth of it is that most UK writers earn less than the minimum wage from their writing alone. It’s very poorly paid in general. So every writer needs another job they can do to pay the bills – at least to begin with – unless they have other financial support they can rely on. I don’t want to come across as negative, rather, as realistic. Taking all that into account, it’s the best job I can picture. Being paid to think up characters, settings and plots and create something new every day is a wonderful way to make a living. I’m doing what I love and I wouldn’t want to do any other job, if I can help it.

Thanks so much for your questions and inviting me, Eva! Much appreciated.

If you’d like to know more about the lovely Rebecca, who recently celebrated 10 years in the business, click on the links below.

https://molliewalton.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaMascull

https://www.facebook.com/MollieWaltonbooks

https://www.instagram.com/beccamascull/

https://www.tiktok.com/@beccamascull

Twitter: @rebeccamascull

Eva Jordan in conversation with author @LauraPAuthor #Author #writer #writerslife

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Earlier this month I reviewed the debut novel, Missing Pieces, written by the lovely Laura Pearson; a heartbreakingly haunting story about motherhood, loss, love, and hope.

Here, Laura chats to me about writing, and her experience as a cancer survivor.

Hi Laura, welcome, and thanks for chatting to me. Can you please tell everyone a bit about yourself?

Hello, and thanks for asking me to chat! I’m the author of three novels, I live in Leicestershire with my husband and our son and daughter, and I can mostly be found (when not writing or herding my kids) reading and eating chocolate. Being a writer is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.

Having previously worked as a copywriter and editor for QVC, Expedia, and The Ministry of Justice, to name a few, what skills did you develop that have helped you as novelist?

I think I learned to just write as well as I could rather than waiting for inspiration. When you have to write web copy and features in an office for a day job, you can’t have an off day or get blocked. You just must write. So that’s what I do now I’m at home writing novels. Some days the words come easy, some days they don’t. But I write them anyway. There are always (many, many) edits. Also, to write tight.

You’ve been very open and public about your experience of breast cancer, which has undoubtedly helped others. Have you ever considered writing a memoir about your journey?

Yes, I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m glad I blogged throughout the whole experience as I have a record of everything. It’s definitely something I’d like to do one day, but one thing that holds me back is that my sister had a devastating health crisis at the same time and it’s hard to write about one without the other, and hard to know how much of it is my story to tell, if that makes sense.

And finally, my favourite question, what advice would you offer anyone thinking of becoming a writer?

If you’re in it for the fame and fortune, I’d probably advise a rethink! But if you love telling stories, getting under people’s skin, and working out what motivates them, and are happy to spend a lot of time working on your own, go for it. There’s a lot of waiting involved, and a lot of rejection, so you need to have a pretty thick skin. But there’s absolutely nothing like holding your book in your hands for the first time. Also, finding a writing tribe who’ll cheer you on and pick you up is invaluable. Writers are the loveliest, most supportive crew you could imagine.

If you’d like to know more about Laura’s writing and her breast cancer journey, you’ll find her blog at https://www.laurapearsonauthor.com/bcab

Book Review – Reputation By @SVaughanAuthor Published by @simonschusterUK

/ Eva Jordan / 1 Comment

“It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute.” –Will Rogers

Well, what can I say! This, the fifth novel and third thriller by Sarah Vaughan, which was released on Thursday 3rd March, is, I’m pleased to say, another superb pulse-racing legal drama. Like the author’s first thriller, Anatomy Of A Scandal; a Sunday Times top five bestseller and soon to be released major Netflix series (which I loved), Reputation takes us back to the to the courtroom and the Houses of Parliament. Suffice to say, my expectations were high, and I’m delighted to say I wasn’t disappointed. 

Set-in present-day London and Portsmouth, this is the story of Emma Webster; a high-profile Labour MP who wants to make a difference. The honourable member for Portsmouth South––also a devoted single mother to her teenage daughter, Flora––helps launch a campaign to protect women from the effects of online bullying after it comes to light that one of her constituents, a young woman who was the victim of revenge porn, has taken her own life. Ironically though, her involvement in the campaign only adds to her own online abuse, including veiled and open threats of rape and attack which, although deeply disturbing, she handles like a true professional. “Keyboard warriors, they called themselves. Such a pathetic term. Laughing at them, even if the laughter was hollow, helped a little – though it did nothing to unpick the knot in my stomach”. Inwardly, however, it is obvious Emma is struggling, despite outwardly putting on a brave face suggesting otherwise. At least, that is, until her teenage daughter’s reputation is threatened, which, unfortunately, fuelled by fear, leads to disastrous consequences culminating in accusations of murder.

Reputation is a gripping read with wonderfully written prose that is succinctly, yet beautifully descriptive. A clever, timely, courtroom drama that helps shine a light on violence and misogamy towards women with an important message about the treatment of women in the public eye.

Book Review – Coming Home by @pbadixon published by @bloodhoundbook

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“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”–George Santayana

I absolutely adored this book. Set in the present day with flashbacks to the past, Coming Home is a beautifully written festive family drama full of secrets and lies, intrigue and deceit, but above all else, love and hope. The story opens on Christmas Eve 1969, where we meet six-year-old Carmen Appleton.

“A child is seated at the kitchen table, that’s me. My mother, Sylvia, with her blonde beehive and candy-pink lipstick is opposite. She’s beautiful… A sound distracts me… Dad. He’s home… my wonderful most perfect dad… All I have to do is close my eyes and go to sleep and it will be Christmas morning, the Christmas it should have been before the knock on the door that ruin[ed] everything.”

Fast-forward to the present day, 2021, and we meet Carmen as she is now, a mother, grandmother, and successful businesswoman and owner of Appleton Farm. Christmas is always a bittersweet time for Carmen, not least because of that fateful night during her childhood, but she loves her family and has always done her best to make it a special time. This year, though, everyone is coming home for Christmas and Carmen is determined to make it the best one ever, plus, she has an announcement to make, a secret to share. However, little does Carmen know, her three adult daughters, Rosina, Violetta, and Leonora, are all harbouring their own secrets. Secrets that are weighing them down but are too afraid to share for fear of ruining their beloved mother’s merry plans.

The characters of this festive tale are well-rounded, wonderfully human individuals with Granny Sylvia, in particular, providing some delightful moments of comic relief. Written with humour, pathos, and depth, Coming Home has all the ‘feels’ of a typical Christmas story with all the ‘chills’ of a compelling family drama.

A well deserved 5 stars from me!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

To grab your copy of this wonderful festive read click here

Book Review – Mine by @kellyflorentia published by @bloodhoundbook

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“I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind” ––Edgar Allan Poe

This is Kelly Florentia’s fourth novel (read my fab interview with her here) and first psychological thriller. It is also a first for me by this author, and as a huge fan of the genre, I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint. Easy to read, intense, and full of twists and turns, ‘Mine’ will keep you gripped from start to finish.

The story opens with a prologue; the voice of the narrator, anonymous, says, “I know what you did and you have to pay. All I’ve got to do is figure out a way to get rid of you. For good”.

Chapter one then introduces us to Lucy Harper, the main protagonist; endearing, suspicious, and at times quite gullible. Reeling from her recent divorce to ex-husband, Andrew, who left her for her long-time school friend, Jasmine, Lucy relies a little too heavily on alcohol to get by, which often clouds her judgement and makes her recall unreliable. She wakes from an evening out unable to remember how she got home, and worse still, who the man in her bed is. He seems pleasant enough, and as he replays their boozy night back to her, Lucy slowly but surely remembers who he is; Teddy Fallon, the new gardener of her best friend Alison, who, with the help of her mother, Karen, set the pair up on a blind date. Teddy is keen to meet again, Lucy less so. However, when Lucy receives an anonymous text message, including a photo, accusing her of something she’s sure she didn’t do, her life begins to spiral, setting off a chain of events that sees her shunned by her friends and suspicious of everyone around her. The texts keep coming with the emphasis on blackmail, and the only person Lucy can confide in, the only person who seems to believe her, is mild-mannered Teddy, but even that’s questionable at times.

Full of believable, well rounded characters, ‘Mine’ is a gripping, fast-paced debut thriller that will see you turning the pages long into the night. I did figure out the final reveal, however, guessing the ending didn’t make reading this fab novel any less thrilling. On the contrary, it is full of so many intriguing revelations and surprises, I often found myself doubting my hunches as much as poor Lucy did.

Eva Jordan reviews The Giver of Stars by @jojomoyes published by @PenguinUKBooks

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Jojo Moyes

 

Wow, just wow! This is undoubtedly one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. Beautifully written and heartfelt, The Giver of Stars is, above all else, a testament to the power of positive friendships and the simple joy of books.

Set in 1930s America, this story is based on a fascinating piece of American history regarding the horseback librarians of rural Kentucky. The aim of the Pack Horse Library Project, which was set up in 1934 by Eleanor Roosevelt, was to aid the education of those living in the more remote parts of the state, often hit hardest by the Great Depression. Hazardous work, including travel across tough terrain, often in adverse weather conditions, it was no easy task for the librarians (who were mostly women) who would regularly ride 20-mile routes into the Appalachian Kentucky Mountains via horseback. However, this band of women, who proved to be as determined as they were dedicated, delivered books and magazines to the people and families that requested them, as committed to their jobs as the mail carriers were.

Narrated in the third person, the main protagonist of this story is Alice, a young English woman who, desperate to escape the rigid confines of polite society and her well-to-do family, marries a handsome young American called Bennett, whom she meets when he is visiting Europe on an outreach mission. However, when she arrives at her new home in America, all is not as Alice imagined it to be. She does her best to adjust to her new surroundings but it soon becomes apparent that her new life in the small Kentucky town of Baileyville, despite the cultural shift from Sussex, is almost as stifling as her old one. Things change, however, when she volunteers to become a horseback librarian where she discovers new friends, including Margery O’Hare. Margery is unlike the other townswomen, or any of the women Alice knew in England. She wears leather breeches and unpolished boots. ‘I suit myself [she said], and people generally leave me be… That’s how I like it.’ The two women develop an unlikely friendship which, set against the vibrantly drawn landscape and mountains, interwoven amongst the beautiful imagery of the ever-changing seasons, we follow the ups and downs of this pioneering duo alongside their other spirited friends.

However, when tragedy strikes, their friendship is truly tested…

With vividly drawn characters, including the villain of the peace, The Giver of Stars is a beautifully crafted and meticulously researched work of art. A real page-turner, both evocative and thought provoking, and full of heartfelt love and hope. Succinctly put, it is a story about a group of women finding themselves and their tribe, but above all else, it is a wonderful celebration of friendship and books.

 

 

 

Eva Jordan in conversation with writer Wendy Fletcher

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In convo with Wendy

 

I’m currently reading a beautiful memoir called The Railway Carriage Child, written by the lovely Wendy Fletcher. Look out for my review in next month’s magazine. In the meantime I thought we’d get to know Wendy a little better…

 

Hi Wendy, thanks for agreeing to chat with me. Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Hi Eva, I live in the railway carriages just outside Whittlesey, the last ones still occupied in this area – as far as I am aware. These have been in my family since 1935 and I spent my childhood there with my parents and grandmother; attending school at King’s Dyke and March. I returned to the carriages in 2009. Then my mother died and I realized how much history was lost with each generation. I started to record my memories, originally just for the family. Edward Storey, well-known chronicler of the Fens, suggested that this might appeal to a wider audience and The Railway Carriage Child evolved.

 

Your memoir is beautifully written. Have you written any other books and do you have plans to write more in the future?

This is my first book. I am currently collecting material for a book on the social history of King’s Dyke, which I hope to publish as a tribute to the families who lived and worked in that small community just outside Whittlesey. I am also 12,000 words into writing a novel and have started two children’s books. I am enjoying having a variety of projects and swap from one to the other, as inspiration takes me.

 

Finally, what advice would you offer anyone thinking of writing a memoir?

My first experience of writing was very lonely and isolating. I was surrounded by piles of notes and half-remembered images from more than fifty years ago. I found the balance for this by setting up a creative writing group (U3A Whittlesey Wordsmiths). Through them, I have met like-minded people and received support and encouragement. My advice to anyone considering a similar project would be ‘You don’t need to do it on your own’.

 

You can purchase The Railway Carriage Child here at Amazon or locally (when they re-open) at the Whittlesey Museum, and Parkers Newsagents. Plus, if you’d like to read more by Wendy, you can read a number of her short stories in two anthologies published by the Whittlesey Wordsmiths, Where the Wild Winds Blow (read my review here) and A Following Wind, also available at Amazon and at the Whittlesey Museum.

 

 

 

 

Eva Jordan reviews The Women by @SELynesAuthor published by @bookouture

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The Women

This is the second psychological thriller I’ve read by this author (read my review of Mother here) and she is fast becoming one of my favourite writers in this genre. Inspired by the #MeToo movement, for me, this story brings to mind writer Neil Gaiman’s quote – “I like stories where women save themselves” – which is just what this story does.

However, at what price?

We begin in Rome where newlyweds Samantha and Peter are on their honeymoon. They are queuing to visit a famous stone carving of a man’s face called Bocca della Verita (The Mouth of Truth) where, according to legend, if you place your hand in the mouth and tell a lie, the stone jaw will clamp down and bite if off. Samantha is intrigued. “The gargoyle is disconcerting, she admits. But the urge to put her hand inside the mouth is almost overwhelming. At the same time, she imagines the mythical severance, the bloody stump of her own wrist, the horror on the faces of the crowd as she staggers, bleeding, onto the street.” Peter, on the other hand, seems harassed, reluctant to be there.

But why?

We are then taken back in time and introduced to Samantha Frayn, a university student from Yorkshire studying in London, where she meets the rather handsome Peter Bridges. Peter, who is much older than Samantha, is an accomplished, charismatic history lecturer. “He is slim. He dresses well—how she imagines an American academic might dress: soft blues, fawns, tan brogues.” He spots Samantha at a university social event and begins chatting to her, offers to take her for a drink. Samantha, both young and impressionable, is completely swept away by his charm and sophistication. She is flattered that a man such as he, a man with a wine cellar, who whistles classical music, drives a sports car and lives in a beautiful house on a hill, would single someone like her, a nobody, out. Their ensuing romance is immediate, thrilling and intense. Quite unlike anything Samantha has experienced before, especially with boys her own age, and before she knows it, she has moved in with Peter.

Later, when she looks back, Samantha will wonder at what point the subterfuge began.

As in her previous novels, the author’s prose, which is succinct yet brilliantly informative and descriptive, completely draws you in, making The Women an enthralling psychological thriller that is perfectly paced with just enough tension to keep you turning the page to the very end.

 

If you’d like to purchase The Women, or find out more about the author, go to Amazon here and here.

 

Five Centuries – Five Influential Female Writers #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2020 #EachforEqual

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Yvey IWD 2020

Today, Sunday 8th March, is International Women’s Day. With its humble beginnings going as far back as 1911, International Women’s Day helps shine a light on the economic, social and political achievements of women. The call to action this year is #EachforEqual drawn from a notion of ‘Collective Individualism’. The idea being that, “Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world”.

about-iwd

As an author I have been inspired by many female writers over the years, many of whom defied the rigid rules of society, often risking ridicule and reputation in order to pursue a writing career. Trailblazers, if you will, that both individually and collectively paved the way for future generations to come.

So, in order to mark IWD 2020, here are my thoughts on some of those trailblazers, whose lives and work have both inspired and intrigued me.

 

Aphra Behn – a celebrated poet and novelist, was also one of the most influential dramatists of the late 17th century. Working as a spy for the British Crown after her husband passed away, then refused remuneration for her services, she found herself in desperate need of money. She vowed never to depend on anyone else for money again and took up writing to support herself. Her first play, The Forc’d Marriage was produced in London in 1670. She became of the period’s foremost playwrights and continued earning her living in the theatre and as a novelist (links to The Rover here) until her death in April 1689.

Virginia Woolf said of her:

“All women together, ought to let flowers fall upon the grave of Aphra Behn… for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds… Behn proved that money could be made by writing at the sacrifice, perhaps, of certain agreeable qualities; and so by degrees writing became not merely a sign of folly and a distracted mind but was of practical importance.”

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Mary Wollstonecraft – was an 18th century philosopher and proto-feminist, best known for her feminist philosophy A Vindication of the Rights of Women, written in response to educational and political theorists of the time who did not believe women should receive a rational education. Instead of viewing women as ornaments or property to be traded in marriage, Wollstonecraft maintained that they were human beings deserving of the same fundamental rights as men. Her daughter, Mary Shelley, also went on to become a writer, best known for her Gothic novel, Frankenstein.

 

Elizabeth Gaskell – was a 19th century English novelist, biographer and short story writer that I was first introduced to whilst studying at university. Like Charles Dickens, Gaskell’s stories offer detailed portraits on a wide variety of Victorian society including the poor, and the appalling state of impoverished workers in the industrial centres of the North. Her novels are therefore of great interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature and because of the social realism in them, her stories attracted the attention of Charles Dickens, who in turn invited her to write for the periodicals he edited: Household Words and All Year Round which included my favourite Gaskell novel, North and South – if you haven’t read it, you should.

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Jean Rhys CBE – best known for her critically acclaimed novel Wide Sargasso Sea – the prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (written over a hundred years later) – Jean Rhys was a 20th century novelist born on the Caribbean island of Dominica to a Welsh doctor and a third generation Creole. However, when she was 16 she moved to England for education purposes. In Wide Sargasso Sea she turns to the themes of dominance and dependence, especially in marriage, depicting the mutually painful relationship between a privileged English man and a Creole woman from Dominica – namely a certain Mr Rochester and his first “madwoman in the attic” wife, (Bertha) Antoinette, who is drawn in quite a different light than she was in Jane Eyre.

I love this quote by Jean Rhys:

“Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere.”

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – is a 21st century Nigerian writer of novels, short stories and nonfiction, and was described in The Times Literary Supplement as “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young Anglophone authors [who] is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature”. My first introduction to her work was We Should All Be Feminists, an essay based on TEDx talk of the same title that the writer gave in London in 2012 (here). She shared her experiences of being an African feminist and said gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. However, she also said she is “hopeful because I believe deeply in the ability of human beings to make and remake themselves for the better”.

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