Caroline Beecham's Blog, page 3
April 1, 2020
Finding Eadie published July 2020
My new novel, Finding Eadie, will be published by Allen & Unwin in Australia and New Zealand in July 2020. Its my third historical fiction novel published by the award-winning publishers and I’m very lucky to be supported by the incredible team there including publisher, Annette Barlow, and senior editor, Christa Munns. The setting of Finding Eadie is London and New York in the 1940s and there is a lot to talk about; where the idea came from, the real events, and the research and writing process, but for now, I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the stunning cover by Christabella Designs, and share the story.
London 1943: War and dwindling resources are taking their toll on the staff of Partridge Press. The pressure is on to create new books to distract readers from the grim realities of war, but Partridge’s rising star, Alice Cotton, leaves abruptly and cannot be found.
Alice’s secret absence is to birth her child and although her baby’s father remains unnamed, Alice’s mother promises to help her raise her tiny granddaughter, Eadie. Instead, she takes a shocking action.
Theo Bloom is employed by the American office of Partridge, run by George’s brother, Walter, and he’s also engaged to Walter’s daughter. When Walter tasks him with helping the British publisher overcome their challenges Theo has to do what’s expected of him before he can return to New York to marry his fiancé.
Inspired by real events during the Second World War, Finding Eadie is a story about the triumph of three friendships bound by hope, love, secrets and the belief that books have the power to change lives.
I can’t wait to share this new novel and its available to pre-order now:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3bBq6m1
Apple: https://apple.co/2WVhORT
Praise for Maggie’s Kitchen:
‘An extremely engaging novel… so well structured. [It] fictionalises its fascinating historical sources so successfully that it reads like the work of a veteran storyteller.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘A tale of love, courage, and the restorative power of food.’ AusRom Today
Praise for Eleanor’s Secret:
‘Beecham’s easy-flowing prose and astute structure make the pages fly.’ Sydney Morning Herald. Pick of the Week
‘A meticulously researched novel that shows the enduring power of love, the damage of secrets and how dreams come true.’ Weekly Times
‘Fans of Natasha Lester and Kate Morton will very much enjoy this new release.’ Debbishdotcom
[image error]
The post Finding Eadie published July 2020 appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
March 31, 2020
Finding Eadie published July 2020
My new novel, Finding Eadie, will be published by Allen & Unwin in Australia and New Zealand in July 2020. It’s my third historical fiction novel published by the award-winning publishers and I’m very lucky to work with an incredible team including publisher, Annette Barlow, and senior editor, Christa Munns. Finding Eadie is set in London and New York in the 1940s and there’s a lot to talk about including the inspiration for the characters, the fascinating real wartime history on which its based, and the research and writing process, but for now I just want to give you a glimpse of the stunning cover by Christabella Designs, and share the story . . .
London 1943: War and dwindling resources are taking their toll on the staff of Partridge Press. The pressure is on to create new books to distract readers from the grim realities of war, but Partridge’s rising star, Alice Cotton, leaves abruptly and cannot be found.
Alice’s secret absence is to birth her child and although her baby’s father remains unnamed, Alice’s mother promises to help her raise her tiny granddaughter, Eadie. Instead, she takes a shocking action.
Theo Bloom is employed by the American office of Partridge, run by George’s brother, Walter, and he’s also engaged to Walter’s daughter. When Walter tasks him with helping the British publisher overcome their challenges Theo has to do what’s expected of him before he can return to New York to marry his fiancé.
Inspired by real events during the Second World War, Finding Eadie is a story about the triumph of three friendships bound by hope, love, secrets and the belief that books have the power to change lives.
I can’t wait to share this new novel and its available to pre-order now:
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3bBq6m1
Apple: https://apple.co/2WVhORT
https://www.booktopia.com.au/finding-eadie-caroline-beecham/book/9781760529642.html
Praise for Maggie’s Kitchen:
‘An extremely engaging novel… so well structured. [It] fictionalises its fascinating historical sources so successfully that it reads like the work of a veteran storyteller.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘A tale of love, courage, and the restorative power of food.’ AusRom Today
Praise for Eleanor’s Secret:
‘Beecham’s easy-flowing prose and astute structure make the pages fly.’ Sydney Morning Herald. Pick of the Week
‘A meticulously researched novel that shows the enduring power of love, the damage of secrets and how dreams come true.’ Weekly Times
‘Fans of Natasha Lester and Kate Morton will very much enjoy this new release.’ Debbishdotcom
[image error]
May 28, 2018
Letter from a reader…
Hello Caroline.
I’ve just read your book called Maggie’s Kitchen. My husband and I lived through this war (unfortunately) and I thought I would tell you one or two things about it. I was three years old when it began and thought it hadn’t affected me too much but when it was over, they started to use the sirens as fire warnings and the first time they tested them I was terrified. My husband was older and being a boy, far more interested in planes and collecting souvenirs. He said his mother conscientiously wrote down all the recipes which Freddie Grisewood read out and repeated again each time. After the war it was discovered that messages to the resistance were included in them. At that time we had no curriculum vitae, just references from people we knew or a previous employer. There were also no paint rollers at that time, just paint brushes. I was born in Bedford, north of London so we weren’t affected much by the bombing, just one that aimed for the railway line and missed and one that for some reason landed near the bottom of my grandfather’s garden but the town where my husband lived was surrounded by airfields. He also says you couldn’t get into a cinema because there were so many Italian prisoners of war.
I hope you find this of interest.
Regards,
Mollie
I love to hear from readers so if you want to get in touch then please email me at info@carolinebeecham.com – look forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes,
Caroline
The post Letter from a reader… appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
May 17, 2018
‘Eleanor’s Secret’ published today in the UK
I’m extremely excited to share the news that today is publication day for ‘Eleanor’s Secret’ in the UK. Its my second novel published by Ebury Press and although you won’t be able to get hold of it in the supermarkets, you will find Eleanor in major booksellers including WH Smith and Waterstones as well as on line.
Celebrating the Australia & New Zealand book launch of ‘Eleanor’s Secret’ in Sydney last week
Although the book will be appreciated by fans of wartime saga novels, such as those of Nancy Revell and Ellie Dean, the contemporary storyline that helps solve the wartime mystery, ensures it will appeal to a wider audience, both young and old. Or as one reviewer said, ‘Fans of Natasha Lester and Kate Morton will very much enjoy this new release and the dual time-zones mean the books will also appeal to a broader audience.’ Debbish.com
Perhaps not this young…
The novel will hopefully also be enjoyed by book clubs with plenty to discuss from its engrossing storyline, intriguing real history, compelling characters, and tale of long-lasting love. Book club questions can be downloaded from my web site.
Resources for book clubs
I will be doing author events in London and Brighton in a few months time to talk about the background, research and writing, as well as the lives of the fascinating war artists whose lives inspired the novel, and I’ll post more information closer to the date. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy discovering ‘Eleanor’s Secret’.
“Writing through the senses meant actually painting during the research stage”
Caroline x
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/eleanors-secret-/9781473550834
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eleanors-Secret-Caroline-Beecham/dp/1785035363
https://www.waterstones.com/book/untitled-book-2/caroline-beecham/9781785035364
The post ‘Eleanor’s Secret’ published today in the UK appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
May 16, 2018
‘Eleanor’s Secret’ Australia & New Zealand book launch
Berkelouw Books, Norton Street, Leichhardt
On Thursday 10th May, family, friends, people from the book industry and the publishers joined together at Berkelouw Books Norton Street in Leichhardt to celebrate the book launch of ‘Eleanor’s Secret’. It was a wonderful night that saw publisher, Annette Barlow, introduce the novel and author, Helen O’Neill, do a Q&A session with me on the evolution of the novel.
Caroline with publisher Annette Barlow, Sophie Green, Kate Goldsworthy and friends
I shared how the War Artists’ Advisory Committee set up in wartime Britain to record an artistic and documentary history of the Second World War had inspired the story. In particular, how discovering that of the thirty-seven artists given full-time contracts, thirty-six were men and there was only one woman, and how this really sparked something for me. In wartime Britain women were taking on the majority of roles that men had previously held, yet that wasn’t reflected in the WAAC or the art world. I imagined there would have been female artists who had an issue with this, and Eleanor became one of them!
The Q&A session
There was also a reading…
Caroline reading from Chapter Eighteen
and delicious food, wine and flowers…
Saying it with flowers…
And of course, there was a book signing…
Everyone got more than just a canapé and a glass of wine though; the talk was an insight into the background of the novel, the characters, the love story and the mystery, and I’ll be posting a video clip of some of the talk and part of the reading in my next blog.
Thank you to Sarah Hill and the Berkelouw staff who did a great job of pulling the event together in very little time. It was a fantastic way to send Eleanor off into the world and these photographs capture some great moments from a memorable evening, thanks to Graham Jepson and his magic camera. And thank you to all those who came, listened, bought, laughed and toasted; it was a very special occasion.
Happy reading,
Caroline x
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36602966-eleanor-s-secret#other_reviews
https://www.booktopia.com.au/eleanor-s-secret-caroline-beecham/prod9781760295660.html
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eleanors-Secret-Caroline-Beecham/dp/1785035363
The post ‘Eleanor’s Secret’ Australia & New Zealand book launch appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
Eleanor’s Secret book launch
Berkelouw Books, Norton Street, Leichhardt
On Thursday 10th May, family, friends and publishers joined together at Berkelouw Books Norton Street in Leichhardt to celebrate the book launch of ‘Eleanor’s Secret’. It was a wonderful night that saw publisher, Annette Barlow, introduce the novel and author, Helen O’Neill, do a Q&A session with me on the evolution of the novel.
Caroline with publisher Annette Barlow, Sophie Green, Kate Goldsworthy and friends
I shared how the War Artists’ Advisory Committee set up in wartime Britain to record an artistic and documentary history of the Second World War had inspired the story. In particular, how discovering that of the thirty-seven artists given full-time contracts, thirty-six were men and there was only one woman, and how this really sparked something for me. In wartime Britain women were taking on the majority of roles that men had previously held, yet that wasn’t reflected in the WAAC or the art world. I imagined there would have been female artists who had an issue with this, and Eleanor became one of them!
The Q&A session
There was also a reading…
Caroline reading from Chapter Eighteen
and delicious food, wine and flowers…
Saying it with flowers…
And of course, there was a book signing…
Everyone got more than just a canapé and a glass of wine though; the talk was an insight into the background of the novel, the characters, the love story and the mystery, and I’ll be posting a video clip of some of the talk and part of the reading in my next blog.
Thank you to Sarah Hill and the Berkelouw staff who did a great job of pulling the event together in very little time. It was a fantastic way to send Eleanor off into the world and these photographs capture some great moments from a memorable evening, thanks to Graham Jepson and his magic camera. And thank you to all those who came, listened, bought, laughed and toasted; it was a very special occasion.
Happy reading,
Caroline x
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36602966-eleanor-s-secret#other_reviews
https://www.booktopia.com.au/eleanor-s-secret-caroline-beecham/prod9781760295660.html
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eleanors-Secret-Caroline-Beecham/dp/1785035363
The post Eleanor’s Secret book launch appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
April 22, 2018
Win a signed copy of Eleanor’s Secret
It’s going to be an exciting couple of weeks with the publication of Eleanor’s Secret on 1st May and my new web site nearly ready too, so I thought I’d share the story behind the novel and how I came to write about an aspiring female war artist. I also want to celebrate with readers by offering the chance to win a signed copy of the book so please go to my Facebook page and enter the giveaway competition: https://www.facebook.com/Caroline.J.Beecham/
When I was researching Maggie’s Kitchen I found documents in the archives about decorating British Restaurants. There was a whole Decoration Policy set out by the Ministry of Food, which in itself was rather surprising; they wanted to improve morale for the diners and used works from well-known artists as well as murals by artists from local colleges. This led me to the War Artists’ Advisory Committee, and it was their work and that of the people and institutions involved that gave me the idea for Eleanor’s Secret.
UK National Archives
The official role of the WAAC was to produce a visual history of Britain during wartime, but unofficially it was also to protect a generation of artists; people were no longer buying art, and industries that formerly employed them, like publishing and advertising, were changing as paper rations were introduced and so many artists lost their livelihoods. I found the idea of the war artist really interesting because it felt as if there is such a stark contrast between art and warfare, and between the people and institutions involved, that there was sure to be some interesting characters and stories—and there were!
UK National Archives
There were four hundred artists that contributed to the scheme and I quickly discovered that of the thirty-seven given fulltime contracts, thirty-six were men and only one was a woman; this really sparked something for me. In wartime Britain women were taking on the majority of roles that men had previously held, yet that wasn’t reflected in the WAAC, or the art world. The heads of the major art institutions and the art schools were all men; I imagined there would have been female artists who had an issue with this, and Eleanor soon evolved as one of them!
I enjoy every part of the writing process; the research, plotting, the writing and editing, but it’s the research stage that throws up these lesser known social histories and the details and characters that I find so inspiring. It feels like there are still ways we can draw back the curtain and see how people lived, loved and survived, how they pioneered during wartime and how lives changed—for the better as well as worse—and in particular the lives of women.
In my next blogs I’ll talk more about these different stages of writing Eleanors Secret and share some of the fascinating research, artworks, stories and people that I came across. Until then, thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and happy reading!
The post Win a signed copy of Eleanor’s Secret appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
March 4, 2018
Inspiring India
The Taj Mahal took twenty years to build over four hundred years ago and while the Salaam Baalak Trust that runs shelters and programs for homeless children has only been running for twenty-five, its legacy will have an impact for many years to come.
The centre of Delhi is home to modern luxury hotels that sit alongside buildings from the British Raj, and forts from the Mughal Empire encircle mosques and temples, just a rickshaw ride away from foreign embassies and universities. But its outside on the streets that you can see, smell and hear where many of the city’s inhabitants live. Its no surprise that as the second largest city in the world with a population of twenty-two million, overcrowding and homelessness is such an issue and that the pavements and roads serve as the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom for many.
Its a multi-cultural population and with such a collision of cultures, comes the colourful mix of many religious festivals although the single most celebrated aspect of many people’s lives is their passion for Bollywood, from the copies of DVDs sold on street corners to the kids who run away from home to be in them, or those who save every rupee they have until Friday when the new films come out.
Of the 200,000 street kids in Delhi, approximately 5% just get lost in the vast urban sprawl, many when visiting with their family and they simply can’t find their way home. For the vast majority though its the only alternative to a life that is abusive or with parents who can’t afford to feed them. For those who find their way to one of the five contact points that filters the kids through to a shelter run but the Salaam Baalak Trust, its a lifeline that saves them from destitution and crime. The guide who leads us through streets and alleyways of Paharganj was a former street kid who rehabilitated thanks to the care and education provided him through the trust. This area around the Delhi railway station was once his home and is still inhabited by thousands of homeless kids that we see amongst the piles of rubbish, faeces and dead animals that we pass on the way.
Stray dogs roam everywhere and only exaggerate the appalling conditions, lack of sanitation and poor air quality, the pollution now far worse than Beijing. The railway station is where many of the kids eat, work and sleep, on rooftops, stairwells or any place that offers shelter from the suffocating heat of summer and the monsoonal rains of July and August. Our guide was plucked from these streets twelve years ago when he was five; the victim of abuse he ran away and was one of the lucky ones, picked up by a constable and taken to the shelter. Today he is studying business management and tells us he can’t wait to finish so that he can be his own boss.
Other success stories include the rescued street boys Amit, Pawan, Shamsul and Vicky Roy, now a talented photographer with a growing reputation, and as we climb the stairs to the shelter off an alleyway not far from the station, its easy to see why. There’s an optimism at the centre that’s staffed by overseas volunteers as well as twenty permanent staff. A modest size room that is a classroom during the day becomes a communal area at night for the boys to roll out their mats and sleep. The walls have hand-drawn pictures of people and slogans, a map of the world with animals from each country and a red flag for where the visitors and workers come from. The boys clothes are mostly worn and dirty and many of them are still smudged with dirt but its not what you notice first; its the shy smiles and the wide-open grins and then as they become more comfortable with us, their excitement. Most of them are as young as five and six and they want us to write our names in their small paper booklets and draw a picture of the flag of our country, and then they do the same for us. Its clear to see how important their sense of belonging is to them and that’s what Salaam Balaak provides; a place where they belong.
Once I’ve scrawled the lines and stars of my flag in pencil, there are hands clutching at mine, the boys eager to be swung around, picked up and danced with, and we spend the next few minutes spinning in dizzying circles until I have to stop. Then its time for us to leave the shelter and finish the tour but its with more optimism than it had begun; its good to know that amongst the chaos and hopelessness at least a handful of boys are getting a chance, and for now they are also getting to spend some of their time just being kids.
http://www.salaambaalaktrust.com
The post Inspiring India appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
Welcome to my blog
“Blogging enables me to combine one of my other passions, photography. I’m not one for talking about home life with humorous anecdotes about the work-life balance, but I will talk about the highlights and capture the images of the places I go and the extraordinary people that I meet during my research.
Occasionally I might digress into the the frustrations of writing, but there are enough writers’ blogs out there if that’s what you are looking for. If you simply want to share a journey with unique individuals around this amazing world of ours, then you have come to the right place…”
The post Welcome to my blog appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
January 15, 2018
Life in the ’40’s
How they lived & what they wore
Visit my Pinterest page to learn more about how they lived and what they wore at: https://au.pinterest.com/CarolineBeecha/.
You might also like this link:
© IWM
The post Life in the ’40’s appeared first on Caroline Beecham.
